Phoebe

  "Hey cutie, how'd it go today?"

  "Not great, we can't really compete here. Soot tried, but raw pace in the mountains isn't his thing."

  "Oh. Well, at least he got to make some friends, right?"

  "What do you mean?"

  "Those wild dragons. I didn't know they'd bother a race sometimes."

  "Wait, you were watching?"

  "I had it on in the background while I was working out. I had to go out before the session finished, though, what was your final time?"

  "That was it, I didn't try again. We had to… we had to give Soot some extra TLC, y'know, he was pretty broken up about it."

  "Sad? Why?"

  "Why do you think, Thessaly? Those were his clutchmates."

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  "What?!"

  "Pretty sure, anyway. What, you didn't think he was an only child, did you? Dragons usually clutch six, eight, ten eggs, Thessaly."

  "I- I never really thought about it, I guess. You're sure it was them?"

  "As much as I can be. I don't think actual wild dragons would-"

  "Wait, Soot wasn't wild?"

  "Fuck."

  "Phoebe-"

  "Can you keep a secret? Like really, seriously keep it? Not tell anyone?"

  "Yeah?"

  "It's not what you think, I promise. It's not- well, ok, Soot was raised by the mob, but I didn't, I mean, Tenebrae isn't- well, ok we have mob financing but, I mean, ugh."

  "Go on."

  "I stole him. From the mob, I mean. Not the one that's funding us, ugh, you see why this is complicated."

  "You stole from the mob?!"

  "Yeah, I heard about a mob ranch where a clutch was just coming to maturity and I snuck in and freed 'em. Soot and his siblings."

  "Oh my god."

  "You can't tell anyone. Like, anyone at all. If they find me I'm dead."

  "That's so cool, though! You're like an eco-warrior, freeing the animals from the evil crooks. Heh, you really do like Deezney movies."

  "No, it's not like that, I-"

  "Phoebe Tenryuu, the laughing dragon, friend to all the creatures of the sky, daring crime-fighter. You're a hero!"

  "No, I-"

  "I bet Soot thinks you're a hero. I think you're a hero."

  "I'm serious, Thessaly, you can't tell anyone, no-one can know."

  "I know, I'm just saying…"

  "Don't forget I did take Castelloro money to get all this started. It's never as simple as the movies."

  "I know."

  "I'm sorry."

  "What? No, I'm sorry I doubted you, I knew there had to be more to it than just being a mob team."

  Wednesday: Mynah - major update (736 words)

  Friday: DNN2 - supplement (589 words)

  Sunday: Ian - major update (1067 words)

  Thirteenth race: Buildup starts 23rd September, race day 6th October

  Fourteenth race: Buildup starts 7th October, race day 13th October

  Fifteenth race: Buildup starts 14th October, race day 20th October

  Sixteenth race: Buildup starts 23rd October, race day 27th October

  Seventeenth race: Buildup starts 30th October, race day 10th November

  Final race: Buildup starts 11th November, race day tbd (likely 1st week in December)