Part 1: Surfing off the Coast
Zhrapi Gul stood on the shores of Unen. The beautiful blue skies overhead, and the cool water lapping at her ankles. The rocky beach here was harsh, and less beach than gravel with a smattering of sand. In hand was a long board carved from the wood of the Orchard of Al’ya, and its smooth surface was well waxed with rendered Mak Hoblok fats.
Zhrapi Gul had been a shapeshifter so long that she couldn’t quite remember if he was a he, or she was a she. Instead, she would use the pronouns of the form she was in to make our own life easier. In the culture she had grown up in, gender was meaningless, and the Olgog language actually had little in the way of gendering of words. And it made her happy to see these new games had a similar point of view.
There were no gendered sports, male, female, other, all competed together to show which being used their form the best to complete the task.
Zhrapi Gul looked out across the waves. They looked beautiful, but under their depths hid many an aquatic nightmare. Just waiting for an unprepared surfer to drop a foot into their small rocky caverns under the sea.
She was excited for the events of the day, and of the week. So many Olgogs had come from across Refuge. There was even a small white and red tent where Earthers from Dunesphere with shaved heads and lots of religious verses tattooed to their body were waxing their own boards.
There was a sound much like blowing through the shell of a large cru’ie crab. And at that haunting note, Zhrapi Gul lifted her board and rushed forward towards the pounding surf.
At her left and right were a line of surfers. They were all Olgogs, except one Red Fur who carried a bone board that did not look like it float well, and a single Earther whose surfboard had the image of a massive iron cross on the bottom.
Then it was time to dive into the waves, putting her full weight down on the front of her board. It dipped under the blue surf, and she was covered in cool water. Then she was surfacing just as suddenly, breaking free on the other side of the waves.
Looking around to get her bearings, she saw only a handfull of Olgogs had made it out past the wave line. A few were foolish enough to walk it out, and had gotten their feet chomped off by nightmares little bigger than lobsters.
The Earther from Dunesphere was the first up onto his board, drawing a holy lance up as he did so. Balancing both board and lance, the human successfully speared one of the Olgog participants using the full force of the wave.
As blood filled the water, Zhrapi Gul knew it would bring more natural aquatic predators to the scene.
Suddenly there was a flash of glowing Summoning Leyas, as a massive seven headed Hydra appeared next to an Olgog female who Zhrapu Gul recognized as Hekeriki. Zhrapi Gul knew they were to fight but had to ask, “Child, what is with the Hydra?”
“What? I’m using leyas as a melee weapon. The Hydra isn’t consider a participant. Not like I’m going to give it weapons," Hekeriki stated innocently.
Even the Hydra rolled it’s 7 pairs of eyes at that statement, and Zhrapi Gul chuckled and began paddling away.
“Wait where are you going?” asked Hekeriki, “Aren’t we going to Surf Fight?”
“Try getting up on that board, balancing yourself, while trying to swing that hydra like a flail. If you can do it, you will find me riding the crests of the waves,” said Zhrapi Gul, who left the other olgog to struggle to balance on her exceptional fiberglass board while lifting a hydra out of the water. Zhrapi Gul had to give her credit, it was an unorthodox melee weapon.
Zhrapi Gul paddled closer to a place to catch the wave, keeping an eye on the Oner with the lance. It seemed the Oner had bitten off more than he could chew. He had charged a Tla’loc’alan Olgog on a wooden board. Now the Oner’s lance had a shaft of wood, only the tip was metal.
So each time the Earther tried to joust the Tla’loc’alan, the Olgog would absorb the strikes from the wooden parts of the lance on her forearms while striking back at the Oner. After three wave driven passes, the Earther finally fell from his board, his head split by the Olgog’s wooden staff.
Zhrapi Gul left the Tla’loc’alan to her victory.
Surfing towards Zhrapi Gul was the Red Fur. Zhrapi Gul knew he must shine like a beacon to the Pit Mongrel’s blind eyes and Leyas sight. So for a moment Zhrapi Gul simply obscured her own aura, and Gorkaog surfed past her harmlessly growling about hidden enemies.
Gorkaog surfed on towards Hekeriki who still had not found a way to actually mount her board while wielding the heavy Hydra. Finally she had it sit in front of her while, she just mounted her board. Finally in the surfing position, Hekeriki saw Gorkaog’s charging form. His poleaxe sailing through the air towards her and her board. Hekeriki simply swung the Hydra forward on its tail, and it collided with the Pit Mongrel knocking him off his board.
Fighting with the hydra, the red fur sank beneath the waves. Hekeriki shrugged and began surfing in towards shore when Auf Lalyan approached on her own board. Momentarily without a weapon, Hekeirki wondered if she should summon another Hydra, when Gorkoag reached out of the sea still wrapped in hydra and grabbed at Auf Lalyan’s board. Auf Lalyan had a simple moment where one of her feet went outside the board and she walked a few steps on the water. Standing there on the water, she ran after her surf board and jumped back on.
Turning the board she chased after Hekeriki, trying to get the final win. She brought her wooden staff down in a simple thud on Hekeriki’s head, but it was as both their boards settled to a stop on the beach.
Zhrapi Gul landed next saying, “I think we were supposed to finish the fight out there on the waves.”
The last competitor to land their board was a Brezan who came to a rolling stop after his board was arrested by the sand five feet behind him. He raised his face up, bleeding from multiple wounds, gave the other survivors a thumbs up before laying down from pain.
Zhrapi Gul said, “I guess we wait for the Judges decision.”
A shadow passed overhead, and a massive strider landed. It was shaped like the primates of Refuge, the Kuelo, and was massive. Its hulking frame could use a building for a seat, which it did, sitting on the roof of a large stone fort that dated back to the Genocide days.
From its loudspeaker came the voice of Naeil.
“Thank you contestants, those who wish to may now rez any fallen comrades.
First Place goes to Auf Lalyan…wait we have a dissenting opinion from one of the judges. The Dunesphere judge says that using the Leyas to walk on water during a surfing competition is bad sportsmanship. This has been seconded by the Judge from Brez.
First Place goes to Hekeriki…wait we have a dissenting opinion. Also from the Judge from Dunesphere…okay….and its been seconded by the judge from Brez.
The Judge from Brez asserts that summoning a creature does not count as a melee weapon.
Hold on, hold on, nobody put any of that in the rules,” the entire crowd could hear Naeil getting more annoyed, “Okay so next year the rules will be clearer, no water walking during the Surfing competition. Can we just make a decision for the contestants sake?”
There was pause as the loud speaker was muted.
“The First Place goes to Hekeriki of the Lucky Fate Squad. Auf Lalyan of the Auf Lal’al gains Second Place. Zhrapi Gul of the Nine gains Third place.”
As Hekeriki lifted the board, made from command chair Godart had died in, and began walking up the winner’s circle, she could hear the cheers of the thousands of Olgogs lining the shores to watch the event.
