You look for the girl, but she’s hidden somewhere near the front of the line. Too short and too small to be seen in this herd of giants. You want to laugh at the odds for her, but something about the girl is a little unsettling. She reminds you of Mother. Clever contestants usually flash some cool alchemy, then get outraced by the real riders after a few rebirths. Sometimes, though, they’re smart enough to destroy a field, spinning all the other riders in a web of chaos. Sometimes they’re even known to target the favorites. You have your doubts about that. You’re the reason the girl is here. If anything, she should be thankful.

Bravos fronts the line. You can’t see him, but you know he’s grinning and acting cocky. You’ve asked him to do one thing in the pre-race festivities: make noise. Be the loud one in the room. Boast and brag. When you told him you wanted him to win, he laughed it off as a joke. It took some convincing, but he’s finally figuring out how much you love him. You don’t just want him to win. You want every picture and video to look like he called his victory before it even happened. He’s always been cocky, but you need him to burn bright the rest of the week.

The group pauses for a series of portrait pictures. It takes several attempts because Thyma refuses to smile. Eventually the photographer gives up and our group continues down the hall. On either side, maps mark each of the previous courses designed for the Races. One hundred forty maps in total, seventy sets lining each side. Every year, the Empire Racing Board chooses a new canyon for the Races. There’s no need to design or build dangers into the settings they choose. The Empire’s deserts are brutal enough on their own. The designers just decide how long the course will be and which canyons will be within the boundaries they arrange.

No one has seen this year’s map until this very moment.

You reach the end of the hall and the contestants are finally permitted to break rank. The one hundred forty-first map waits there, hidden behind a ragged, gray veil. You wrinkle your nose at the scent of mildew pouring out from the ancient cloth. More unnecessary traditions.

It’s important to position yourself apart, especially free of Bravos and the Longhand. Aside from you, they’re the main story lines entering the Races. Most of the other Ashlord contestants come from royal houses and rich families, but in terms of riding?

They are names that history will soon forget.