Ho Dromos TeleōAtalanta, the Archer of Red, grit her teeth as she was once again overtaken. Once, she was hailed as Greece’s fastest runner, and yet here she was, languishing in last place. As a form of courtesy to her challengers, she always let them run ahead before she raced past them, but to be overtaken at such a blistering pace was a transgression on her pride—no, on her very existence as a Heroic Spirit.
>Third<
But she did not allow this anger to consume her. After all, just as the tide of battle may turn in the blink of an eye, a race, too, may be won from behind. With the tranquility of a hunter and the instincts of a wild beast, she confirmed her competitors’ speed and direction. At the rate those two were going, it would still be possible to catch up using the merits of one of her skills.
“Go ahead. I shall pass in front of you afterward like a squall.”
However, even her best efforts were in vain.
>First<Achilles, the Rider of Red, regarded the golden object he held in his hands: an apple shining with a golden radiance. He felt such a stumbling block was especially appropriate, considering he was racing against the heroine Atalanta, whose peerless track record had been destroyed by the fruit.
And yet the apple held ties to him, as well. He’d remembered his mother telling him the story of her wedding, when the foul goddess Eris sowed chaos amongst both gods and men with nothing but a single piece. He remembered how the Trojan boy Paris had judged the quarreling goddesses, how a tiny fruit had become the seed of a great and terrible war.
At that point, Achilles felt a certain sense of joy for having grabbed the apple. Though it was the downfall of one of his opponents, it was the same thing that allowed him to prove his worth against the other great heroes of his time. It could be said that the apple was at the very heart of the legend of the immortal warrior Achilles, who lived, loved, and died because of the circumstances it brought about.
With that in mind, he sprinted forward, determined to overcome his opponents with all of his strength.
>Second<Karna, the Lancer of Red, lost the race, but was not disappointed.
While other Servants would have cried foul, demanded a rematch, or brooded about how a loss affected their standing as a Heroic Spirit, Karna did none of those things, because he was all too familiar with the feeling of loss.
In fact, it might not be such a stretch to say that “loss” was at the very heart of the tragic story of the son of Surya.
Karna lost his birth mother due to being born out of wedlock. He lost his teacher and friend through enduring pain. He lost the chance to marry a woman due to being lowborn. He lost his birthright to gods who exploited his generosity. And finally, he lost his life to his half-brother and greatest enemy.
He accepted his defeat with grace, because even if the outcome was unfavorable, he was allowed to show his full strength without the hindrances of curses and destiny.
So he turned to the rejoicing Rider, and, with the faintest of smiles, said,
“Congratulations.”>End<
Yeah, yeah, I know Golden Apple isn't a skill of Atalanta's anymore. I just sort of put that in for drama. The pretentious Greek title comes from Paul's second letter to Timothy. Anyway, please tell me what you think below.
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Originally Posted by Nuclear Consensus
