Pecopeco Ikimasu Gaiden!

[renzeiken]

Foreword: This is a spin-off on Redkinoko & Karasawa Rui's Pecopeco Ikimasu. I am writing this with Redkinko's permission. Hopefully it won't be a total disaster.


Prolouge: The White Phoenix

A pair of old men wearing the trappings of knights stared at a tall white-plumed creature. For a moment the pair simply stood there, motionless, until one released a deep sigh.

“Nobody’s going to ride it now, not when it’s blind.” the balding man said, his voice carrying the slightest hint of pity for the once-proud mount.

“Do you think the Duke will let it go?” his companion asked, eyes turning towards the pecopeco noting the bandages on its eyes.

“He’d have to. I don’t think anyone would want to feed a useless mount.”

“So much for gratitude, if I remember the Duke made millions off Comet.”

The other man shook his head. “And millions more if he wasn’t pushing for that overwhelming lead he betted extra on.”

The pair silently walked past the stables leaving the creature alone in the darkness of his sell and from behind the doors the just closed Lance heard the last snippets of their conversation. “…and to think they’d already taken the lead in that race.”

Lance, a boy dressed in the trappings of a swordsman stepped out from the shadows. He’d been afraid of getting spotted by their Lord Duke Krasus again. The man was in a foul mood and nobody in the capital was ignorant of the reason behind his temper these days.

Even for a cliffcharger - and people had suspected that he was even more than that because of his unusual white plumage - Comet had proven himself to be exceptional. He had never participated in a race where he never won by a huge gap and most of his races had been in oridecon-league tourneys. Needless to say, Comet’s early retirement was a tremendous loss to their Lord’s coffers and he was hardly pleased by the news that Comet’s sight would never see the track again.

Exemplary record or not, there was going to be no way anyone was ever going to ride this pecopeco again and for better or worse they were going to have to retire Comet before he even reached maturity.

Lance, more than anyone wished the accident hadn’t happened. He’d always warned the rider not to push Comet but he was nothing more than a simple squire-turned stable-boy, there was no way his liege would listen to his advice.

Sometimes he wondered what he was still doing here feeding pecopecos when he should be out training. Sure, he had developed an interest in the creatures and as a knight-to-be he was supposed to learn how to ride one but he’d never imagined that was all he was going to learn during his stay here. They didn’t even train him like they promised, instead they made him run errands and before long he’d been reduced to a mere courier who attended to other knight’s mounts on the side.

Lance looked outside and noticed that the sun was just about to set. He’d already finished his duties for the day and was feeling slightly famished. As he dropped the bucket on the ground and made his way to the servant’s quarters just outside the keep his attention was stolen by a frustrated Comet who was flapping his wings wildly in the confines of his cage.

The towering white-plumed pecopeco was still as impressive as it had always been. Its angular beak and sharp pale eyes made it appear more like an eagle than pecopeco and its sleek and muscular form and swept-back wings added even more to that impression.

Comet was a proud creature that was the victim of an even prouder rider. It was a pity the rider had failed to understand him, maybe if he had noticed that Comet had been running a fever he wouldn’t have been pushed faster than was necessary to win.

Maybe if I had been your rider this wouldn’t have happened…

The thought made Lance smile. It was outrageous that a lowborn, barely a squire would have the opportunity to ride a mount as prized as this one but…

Well, nobody was around and it wouldn’t hurt to try a ride that nobody wanted… would it? He approached the towering creature cautiously but despite the absence of its sight it reacted to his presence with a furious snap of its beak.

Lance jumped back and felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Comet was as courteous as ever and for some reason Lance found that quality of the bird to be attractive in its own way. Mustering whatever courage he had in him he quickly snatched the keys from where he knew they were hidden and opened the doors to the bird’s cage.

Without even waiting for the double doors to sway outwards Comet rammed his head into the doors causing them to swing wide-open. For a moment a terrified look crossed Lance’s face and he imagined the bird would bury its talons into his chest but the beast strangely enough stopped moving. Comet bowed its head close to Lance’s and its eyes met the squire’s.

Sharp narrow eyes, now pale blue instead of brilliant sapphire stared back into the boy’s own. Lance knew that the bird wouldn’t be able to see him but he felt as if Comet was scrutinizing him for all his worth. And then he bowed his head down even lower, this time even kneeling.

“Do you want me to ride you?” the question came out almost of its own accord and Lance carefully closed the gap between him and the giant avian. It hummed softly, almost as if it were waiting for the boy to make his move. With disregard of his own safety Lance took a firm hold of the bird by the neck and he swung himself on it, almost failing in the attempt.

There was no saddle, no harness and that was only to be expected of a mount that was probably going to be retired in the next few days. Still, simply riding the beast felt exhilarating, Lance could almost feel what it would be like to ride Comet as it charged through the grasslands.

He stroked the bird’s feathers experimentally trying to gauge how it was adjusting to its new rider. The thought made him smile, he wasn’t a rider, he was a courier-boy and he wasn’t even a proper squire yet. He once imagined that riding a pecopeco like this would make him feel powerful, instead he only felt humbled.

The bird however had other plans, before Lance could even react, before he could even draw breath the white-feathered beast strode forward, its taloned feet digging into the soil as it began to walk to the exit.

“Wait a minute,” panic shot through Lance. He didn’t want to test the mount, he only wanted to see how it felt riding it. “Slow down boy.”

Comet ignored his protests however. The bird’s strides were growing faster and faster and within seconds they were moving at full gallop out the door and unto the fields where there was nothing but open grassland and nothing to stop Comet from running.

The first few moments terrified Lance, he held unto the creature’s feathers for bare life but after the shock faded he felt a strange sensation welling up inside him. As dangerous as this pace was he didn’t feel frightened at all, somehow he couldn’t help but trust that Comet wouldn’t do anything to harm him.

Now Lance was no stranger to Pecopecos, he had ridden them since he was ten and yet for some reason Comet hardly responded in the same manner those dunestriders or plainsbred mounts he had ridden in the past, and it wasn’t just the absence of the reigns and a harness. No, Comet responded almost instantaneously to the slightest tug of his hands on its feathers.

As Comet sped across the darkening grasslands he felt an urge to run faster, as if the Pecopeco were spurring him to witness its power. Lance smiled and lowered his frame on the sleek body of the creature. With a tug of his hands he urged the bird to run faster and it sped up even more, almost as if it were responding to his spirit.

[renzeiken]

Chapter 1: The Birth of a Legend

“So what do you think they’re planning for Comet,” Lance stoked the embers in the fireplace trying to set the fresh sheet of coal burning as brightly as the older ones.

His favorite instructor, and possibly the only knight in the keep who actually earnestly wanted to help Lance become one himself leaned back into the armchair. Percival stared into the mug in his hand watching the golden ale spin within as he turned the cup from one side to the other. “I don’t know, worst thing they could do is send him to the slaughterhouse… and I wouldn’t put it past the Lord Krasus to do that.”

Lance felt his heart sink at that statement. Surely the Duke wouldn’t be as ungrateful as to kill the mount that had earned him millions….

“Comet is a racing bird in his prime, you’d have to spend a considerable amount of money of his feed alone.” Percival commented before downing the ale in one motion.

“What if I buy him…” the statement left the boy’s lips before he could take them back.

The old knight guffawed upon hearing that suggestion. With his eyes wet by tears of mirth he shook his head vigorously at the young squire. “Really kid, the bird would be still worth more than you can afford and Krasus wouldn’t…” he stopped in the middle of his sentence when he noticed the boy’s serious expression. “…You really mean to?”

“He’s a good mount, better than I’ll ever find if I spent a lifetime searching.”

“A blind one though.” the knight pointed out.

“That wasn’t a problem when I rode the beast yesterday, he’s as fast as ever.”

The old man’s eyes snapped wide-open in silent alarm. For as long as he could remember only the Duke’s most skilled retainers had been able to control that bird, the boy hadn’t shown that kind of promise… “How long have you been working as a courier for Krasus?”

“Five years, give or take a few months.”

Percival knew that was more experience than his charges even had. He himself hadn’t ridden his Pecopeco that long, in these less turbulent times a desk job was all that most knights saw, save maybe for the border patrol and the couriers. “And you say you were able to ride that bird, blind as he is?”

Lance knew the man was getting somewhere but he couldn’t afford to antagonize the only person who was supporting him in the castle. “…I have, no… I can.”

A low whistle escaped the knight’s lips. “I’m impressed.” the weathered knight rubbed his chin ruefully and Lance could almost swear he could hear the gears of the senior’s mind go at work. “Can you do the same on a technical course?”

Lance swallowed hard, realizing the implications of the man’s questions – or was that a poorly veiled dare? “…exactly what are you going on about, sir?”

“There’s a staggering difference between running a straight line and taking winding corners. If you’re going to be racing you’re going to have to master the latter more than the former and that, child, takes more than just courage or recklessness.”

“Are you implying I can’t tackle corners.” at least Lance had experience enough to sound confident. He’d ridden longer than most track racers in all his years as a courier and he’d seen more terrain than most professional racers could ever claim to.

“I’m saying without eyes Comet’s ability to clear them relies completely on you. You’ll have nobody else to blame in case a second accident happens.” the aged knight definitely had a plan, or at least he was forming one at that very moment.

“Where do you plan to test my abilities?”

“The Al de Baran circuit, we’ll start small,” the smile the old knight flashed betrayed the exact opposite of what he said. “There’s an Emveretarcon class tournament that’s going to be held there in a few days time, I’ll arrange everything so Duke Krasus thinks his prized mount is being sent to a healer who might be able to do something about his impairment.”

“I’ve never actually been to the circuit, surely its nowhere near the city because I’ve visited the city once and I’ve never seen it? Is it somewhere in the surrounding planes?”

“A little beyond the planes, its at the mouth of the canyons just outside of Al de Baran’s sight. I wouldn’t actually call it a circuit, used to be one but they’ve extended it well into the country side. The race won’t have a second lap, one is dangerous enough. The course will take you through one of the many canyons of the area, most of the time you’ll be riding at the edge of cliffs.”

“Meaning someone will try to ram my mount into the ravine at every opportunity.” he’d seen enough dirty tricks on the track in all his time as a stable-boy but he’d never actually imagined being on the receiving end of such tricks.

“If the sand and sudden updrafts don’t kill you before they do. That’s why you’ll rarely see small mounts racing on that course. There’s also the fact that some of the corners are sharp, so sharp and sudden that some racers don’t notice them and they end up riding into the canyon itself.”

“Which means I’ll have to lag behind for awhile… follow the top seeds.”

A chuckle escaped the old knight’s lips. “If Comet lets you, he’s impatient, that one.”

Lance had to cringe, the bird did have a tendency to run faster even when he was willing it to stop. “So when do you want me go there?”

“As soon as you’ve stocked up on provisions, and it’d be great if you could come up with a disguise for your mount. He’ll need a new moniker too-“ the knight fished his pouch for some zennies and decided to just throw the entire bag at the squire’s feet. “-Here’s the money you’re going to need for the feed, the disguise and goggles. I hear the dust-storms are strong there this time for year. Get yourself a nice pair of goggles. You’re going to need them.”

[renzeiken]

Chapter 2: A Rude Awakening

A thick cloud of dust and sand came rolling from somewhere behind him and the squire had to shield his eyes and squint. Percival was right about how he would definitely need the goggles in this race.

Lance adjusted the black goggles over his eyes, taking care to sweep back his jet-black hair from getting tangled in the leather strap. He grumbled as he re-adjusted the length of the strap to suit his needs because not only was it a little tight, the thing was preventing him from seeing everything as clearly as he would have without it.

How was he supposed to become Comet’s eyes for the race like this? He wished he could’ve done something about these goggles but he doubted anyone could make him customized goggles on such a short notice.

And yet for all his complaining about the limited peripheral vision that came with the goggles the relatively limited scope of vision it provided didn’t seem to prevent him from noticing the red-haired girl who’d been talking what some of the race organizers not too far away.

Completely distracted by the girl, Lance took off the goggles and took the opportunity to ogle her while she was preoccupied talking. The girl was easy on the eyes, her figure was curvaceous though far from buxom and she had really really nice legs. Her face didn’t lose out to her body either, her features were small and delicate and her expression was more than pleasing. She looked so pretty that Lance couldn’t help but think impure thoughts about her, if only for a moment.

“Registration’s closed.” the man’s words tore him back to reality and Lance had to suppress the urge to protest violently.

“But sir! Come on, I just came from the other end of the continent to get here, can’t you cut me some slack, I’m sure you’ve got space enough for one more rider.”

“Rules are rules kid.” the man closed his ledger. “Unless you’re willing to pay extra.”

Lance swallowed hard and looked at the pouch of zennies he had in hand. There was still enough bribe-money though how he’d get back to the capital if he didn’t get on the podium was going to be a problem.

“Fine, two hundred. That’s all I can afford to spend.” He pushed the sum into the man’s hand and the recorder grudgingly slipped it into his pockets.

“The stable for the participants is at the right, the big red barn, you can’t miss it. Take stall number 77, the rider for that one backed out at the last minute.” the fat old man licked his finger and opened his ledger filling in the last entry before leaving Lance to fend for himself.

“That’s an impressive bird you have there, though I don’t think he’s a thoroughbred” the assessment came from a pretty red-head sporting a ponytail. The very same girl Lance had been glancing at only moments earlier was now beside his mount and Comet was uncharacteristically preening to her touch. “Surprisingly docile for a bird with a gait that betrays one undeniable fact.”

Lance tried hard not to smile stupidly and failed at the attempt. “And what fact is that?”

The red-head hugged the bird’s neck and rested her temple near the crook of its wing. Lance looked at her and he found her icy gaze meeting his own. “You haven’t broken him in yet.” A wistful, almost pleasant smile formed on her lips. “He’s still wild, despite any allegation to the contrary.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever succeed in breaking him in. Actually, I wouldn’t have him any other way.”

His reply caused the girl to smile, this time wide-enough that he could see her pearly whites. “A rider who’s especially fond of his mount, you’re either inexperienced or very sentimental. Both qualities won’t help you survive out here, at least not in a race.”

“Oh I’ll do more than survive, trust me on that.”

“Oho!” she disengaged from Comet’s neck and stepped closer towards Lance who was growing rather uncomfortable in the saddle of his mount. “Pretty cocky for a rookie, what’s your name?”

“Lance, Argencourt. A squire and knight-in-training. And to whom do I owe the pleasure of speaking to?”

“Lisa,” the girl curtsied and smiled. ”Lisa Rekenber.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you then, Lady Lisa.” he bowed graciously out of habit. Comet’s stance also dropped a bit, almost as if he were imitating his rider’s gesture. “I don’t mean to presume, but isn’t Rekenber the name of that aristocratic family that holds most of the successful industries in the Schwartzwald Republic.

“It is, I’m of no importance to my relatives though. I’m from a branch family, the youngest daughter. I’m only noble in name, so you don’t have to act so reserved.”

Lance visibly relaxed when she mentioned that. The last thing he wanted to do was to make an embarrassment of himself in front of someone important, still the girl was a part of the family and that meant he couldn’t completely feel at ease. Not that she was making it difficult for him to.

“Well Lady Lisa… I’m going to have to head to the stables. The race is going to start in a few hours and I have to get my mount ready… do you want me to take you back to the stands.” he scratched the back of his neck and offered her a hand. He wondered if the proposal had been too bold or too fast but at least he was going to take his chances.

“I appreciate the offer,” she took his hand in hers and grinned. “But I’m not going back to the stands. I’m not watching the race, I’m participating in.”

[Owen Holy]

WOAH

IT'S YOU

[-Pandapoops-]

Woah. I should go read TMP again.

[Owen Holy]

Originally Posted by -Pandapoops-

Woah. I should go read TMP again.

Wasn't it TLP? The Love Potion?

[-Pandapoops-]

Originally Posted by Owen Holy

Wasn't it TLP? The Love Potion?

The Mating Potion iirc.

[Owen Holy]

Originally Posted by -Pandapoops-

The Mating Potion iirc.

good call, you're right.

[renzeiken]

Chapter 3:The Ride of Your Life

“Thanks for the ride sir, this is where I’m getting off, so if you could please…?” Lance didn’t need further instruction; he urged his mount to drop its stance and hopped off his ride so he could offer the girl his hand. The girl sheepishly accepted his assistance and effortlessly hopped off the mount.

Lisa straightened out the creases on her clothes and turned her head towards Lance. For a moment the girl looked like she had something important to say but when she shook her head softly Lance didn’t want to chance prodding further. “Your mount, I don’t mean to presume but he can’t see to well can’t he?” Lisa traced her fingers across the bird’s blind eyes as if to confirm her guess.

“You figured that out?”

“That helmet you have on him, it resembles the one the crusaders use for their mounts. The only striking difference is the absence of the decorative horns and the non-existent eye-slit. I can understand why you would go without the horns, but that kind of visor would only hamper a bird’s vision. You hardly seem like someone who would put appearance before function so I could only come to that conclusion.”

Lance chuckled softly, the girl was right on the money and he was a little worried that she would figure out his bird’s identity if he didn’t head to his stall in a few moment’s time.“I guess nothing escapes you Lady Lisa.”

“You give me too much credit, I wouldn’t have noticed if you hadn’t offered me a ride.”

“I’m starting to think that maybe it was an error in judgment to do so.” he said, his voice teasing. Still, Lance had to admit there was some measure of truth to that statement, the girl had discovered so much about him and his mount in such a short span of time.

“Because I’m also your opponent?” she grinned at the bird and rider, her eyes betraying more than the pretty and polite façade she was projecting.

“No,” Lance lifted a gloved finger and cleared his throat. The expression on his face was plain in serious though his jovial tone ruined his declaration. “It’s because you’re my type.”

The girl struggled to suppress the laugh that was bubbling inside her and she playfully punched the boy’s shoulder. “If you’re going to hit on me you better come up with a better line.”

…

A long line of pecopeco’s stretched across the starting line, some were small and sleek, most were large, if not larger than his own mount but there was one thing that all the entrants shared, all the riders wore some form of protective eye-gear and all of them had water skins hanging on the side of their respective mounts.

Lance had some suspicions that the race would be a long one but to have water enough for both rider and mount? He had done the same as the other riders and stocked up on water like they did but he didn’t bother bringing too much, he’d brought enough for one stop. Now he wondered if that was a mistake that would come back to haunt him.

“I hope you’re going to keep good on your promise sir knight.” the rustle of feathers and the smile of a certain red-headed girl greeted him when he turned around.

Lisa lined her ride up alongside him, her mount was a foot smaller than his own though the white color of its feathers made Comet’s pale in comparison. The creature was beautiful but Lance suspected that it was probably every bit as formidable as its bigger siblings on the circuit.

“A steeplechaser I imagine?” he chanced, the familiar face helped to relieve some of the tension that was welling up in Lance’s chest but it was only now that the fact that he would be fighting seasoned racers was getting to him.

Lisa grinned, stroking the head of her mount softly. “And it didn’t even take you a few seconds to guess correctly.”

“The legs are evenly developed.” He commented. “Most would have a single set of muscles toned while the others only barely receive training. Your mount doesn’t look like it has a weakness.”

“The same could be said about yours, well, save that one problem.”

“I’ve taken care of that problem, don’t worry about it.”

Lisa adjusted her cowgirl’s hat and tugged down on a pair of rose-tinted goggles. “I sure do hope so, I’d still want to talk to you again after the race.”

A few meters ahead the last straggling members of the race crews were moving away from the track and flags were being raised in preparation for the start of the race. Taking that as his cue Lance positioned himself in preparation for the rocket-start that Comet was probably itching to perform.

“Well, are you ready sir Lance?” the girl wasn’t taking the same measures as he was and sat of her mount casually, it looked like she had every intention to lag behind for awhile.

“Ready for what?” at the corner of his vision Lance could see the flags that would herald the start of the race being lifted into position. The race would start in a matter of seconds and he doubted he would get a chance to take to Lisa until after the battle.

“The ride of your life.” she shouted amidst the sound of the roaring crowd that came to life the moment the flag came crashing down.


Note: Yeah, I'm kind of back. Pretty rusty but I'll try to get the hang of writing like this again. Its kind of a surprise you guys remember me, I do remember both of you.

[renzeiken]

Chapter 4: The Proposal

A thick wall of dust exploded from the starting line and a stampede of Pecopeco came bursting forth from the thickening cloud of sand. While some mounts were struggling to break free from the pack there were a few that were effortlessly surging forward leaving the other lesser birds, or those who’d opted to hoard their energy for the last legs of the race behind.

Among those that were running at the head of the horde of birds were the sleek forms of the few sprinters that had participated in the race but among the Pecopeco that were burning through the starting line strip one stood out. This bird, a little more than a streak of white and silver in the eyes of an observer was rapidly closing the gap that was keeping it from first place.

Comet’s large strides were allowing it to clear more feet with every step than its smaller brethren. The unexpected display of the unknown maverick caused a commotion on the stands and the muffled buzz of shifting bets swept across the mass of spectators.

Normally Lance would’ve been elated at the cheering and the opportunity to take the lead only moments after the race had begun but a completely different feeling was coursing through his veins at that very moment.

He wasn’t prepared for the speed Comet was flaunting. It was far more than the bird had showed him during their first ride at the Pronteran country-side, no this pace was not simply dangerous, it was downright reckless and the first corner would prove that much.

While the other riders suddenly pulled the reigns of their respective mounts Comet wasn’t responding to Lance’s instructions. Ignoring the command to slow down the bird kept running forward and as the scenery zipped by the mouth of the giant right hand turn forced Lance to shift his body-weight in the same direction to tip the bird on the right path. This worked to a degree but only when they were feet into crashing into the walls did Comet suddenly react, not by turning, no, it was already too late for that maneuver.

Instead the bird rode on the momentum of his run and it dug its talons into the cliff-face performing a run against gravity itself for a few short moments. That error was all the other riders needed to overtake both mount and rider and by the time Comet recovered his bearing the other birds were already a comfortable distance away leaving him in the middle of the stampede of birds.

For a few short moments Lance wanted to snap at his mount but he repressed the impulse, he’d already known that Comet was hard-headed as they came. It was his mistake for thinking that he’d react like any other bird because frankly, the Cliffcharger was anything but that.

Another thing occurred to Lance during that near-death experience, that even when Comet had ignored his orders he was able to react moments before crashing and that suggested something. “You can see a little bit ahead of you cant you?” the possibility made Lance smile.

So Comet wasn’t exactly as blind as a bat, sure it couldn’t see far ahead but near-sightedness was much better than being completely sightless. “I hope you’ve learned your lesson.” he whispered as he attempted to guide Comet through the spaces between some of the mounts so he could catch up to the leading seeds.

Ahead of him a familiar Pecopeco with alabaster feathers ran at a controlled pace, urging his mount to do the same Lance steered Comet as close as he could beside the racer.

Lisa glanced to her side and smiled. “You nearly killed yourself back there, congratulations on taking the lead for awhile though.”

“My mount wouldn’t listen.”

The girl shook her head, eyes trained on the road ahead. “No, it’s never the mount’s mistake. You didn’t try to understand your bird did you?”

“I admit, it was an error in judgment.”

“You’re supposed to work with your ride, not make it work for you. Listen, you seem like a nice kid and I wouldn’t want you dead on your first race. Here’s some advice, the hill climb sections are the most dangerous ones, try to calm your ride down before tackling those.”

“I’ll try to keep that in mind, thanks.”

A smirk played on her lips but she didn’t smile outright. “Let’s make a bet, if I beat you in this race, regardless of position I want your mount for my own.”

“I can’t gamble with what isn’t mine.” Lance countered.

“Pity, I guess helping you live through this race won’t be worth it.”

The squire remained quiet for a few moments and he felt the urge to take back what he said. “Just out of curiosity, if I accepted your proposal what do I get if I beat you?”

“Oho? I don’t feel obliged to answer that question anymore.” the girl told him, her smirk shifting into a smile. “Tell you what, if you can survive halfway into the race I’ll come up with another proposition again, for now…” her feet slapped the legs of her mount and it suddenly dropped its stance, “…just try to keep up.” Lisa and her ride sprung forward and slipped through the briefest of openings the Pecopeco’s in front of her provided.

Lance couldn’t help but be impressed by the girl’s precision control but he couldn’t follow her, not through those small gaps that her ride was weaving in and out of. Comet would have to take a less discreet way of passing the riders in front of him.

[nekocat]

I just read this now...wow you can write! And I love the theme of the story. Having a blind PecoPeco co-star in the story is really clever.

I'll wait for the next installment. Keep up the good work!