Free The Magical Flight of Dodie Rue by F.C. Shaw

Oban joined his comrades in a large yurt.
    The officials’ yurt, stationed next to a stone well, stood in the center of the checkpoint with small campfires encircling it. Racers sat in twos and threes, mostly with their village kinsmen, around campfires, swapping stories of the day. All of them, except for Zinnia, had their head masks off. Some washed their faces and necks with water from the well, while others kicked off their sandals. Everyone kept his racer rug rolled up right next to him. Soon the officials passed out cups of goat’s milk and baskets of bread, roasted lamb, and dates to the racers.
    Now that Dodie’s stomach had emptied and settled down, he was famished. At first he wasn’t sure where to sit, or who to sit with. He found the other racers from Turah at one campfire and joined them. Atallah was already telling a much embellished story of his day to the others. He smirked as Dodie plopped down in the sand, and opened his mouth to say something.
    â€œShut it, Atallah,” Dodie snapped. “Nothing you say to me is gonna make me quit. I’m here, I’m racing, and I came in first place tonight, so just shut it.”
    The other racers stifled chuckles. Atallah glared at everyone, then shot to his feet and stomped off to the well.
    Randi clapped. “Thank you, Rue!”
    â€œI can’t stand him,” muttered Axel.
    â€œYou can’t stand a lot of people,” chuckled Bae.
    â€œTrue, but I really can’t stand Atallah,” Axel glowered as he polished off his goat’s milk. “And that Nye from Alsta.”
    Dodie listened to Axel recount his fight with Nye at the Magistrate’s Banquet. It had started with Nye saying something inappropriate about the girl Salarah. When Bae teased Axel about liking her, he didn’t deny it. Dodie thought it best not to mention Salarah’s impetuous kiss for Taj.
    When they finished their dinner, they stretched out on the sand and lay their heads on their rolled up racer rugs. Soon they were peppering Dodie with questions about Taj and Phoenix and why Dodie could suddenly fly. He did not tell them about Binni’s potion.
    Axel got up to get a drink from the well, and Dodie joined him. They both shouldered their carpets and headed over to the well where two shadowy figures loitered. As they neared them, they recognized Atallah’s boisterous voice. Nye was with him.
    â€œI was just talking about you, Rat Scat,” said Atallah as Dodie and Axel walked up. “Telling Nye how you’re scared of flying.”
    Nye crossed his arms and pierced Dodie with a glare, his thick black eyebrows knitted together.
    Atallah took a step closer to Dodie. “How come you’re able to fly now? What’s your secret?”
    Dodie drew himself up a bit. “Yeah, I’ve got a secret,” he said. “I’m gonna beat you. Wait, guess it’s not a secret anymore.”
    Axel snickered, Atallah scowled, and Nye kept glaring.
    Atallah got right in Dodie’s face. “Be careful, Rue, and watch your tail tomorrow. There is no way I’m getting beat by some air-sick rat catcher on his grandfather’s rug. No way!” He stormed off to his campfire.
    Axel whistled and dipped a cup into the well. “I think you just woke a monster, Rue.”
    â€œI know,” groaned Dodie. “How’d the race go for you today?”
    Axel set his cup of water on the edge of the well, and started recounting his narrow miss with the dragons and his gusty journey through the dune range. His back was turned to Nye, so he didn’t see Nye’s quick movement, but Dodie did. Problem was he wasn’t sure what he saw. Nye’s hand moved forward, and the shimmer of glass in the moonlight caught Dodie’s eye for a second. Then Nye left them.
    â€œI know we’re competitors and all,” Axel was saying, “but I want you to know I respect what you’re