Gelert Rivals

     And now, swanning in out of nowhere was Team Dacardia — with Ruffaele Roo. It wasn’t bad enough that he was obsessed with the spotlight but had none of the pedigree to back it up — hadn’t proven himself like Tandrak and his team had - showing up year after year from the very first Cup, winning twice, finding the podium countless times after, and sticking it through and holding their heads high even during their bad years — but he was also a Gelert. It was like he was determined to steal every single thing that was part of Tandrak’s brand, bar for bar, but execute it worse. Team Altador also had a Gelert player but Tandrak got along with Lyvon well enough. They were very different. Lyvon kept to himself and, like most of his teammates, tried to avoid the spotlight and the press. Every time Tandrak had ever interacted with him both on and off the pitch, he’d been courteous and kind and they’d developed an unspoken understanding between one another as the only two Gelerts in the Yooyuball professional league. Until now.

     “Rowdy is such a ridiculous nickname,” Tandrak groused as he and his captain, Layton Vickles, left the weight room after some hard resistance training. “And what kind of last name is Roo? You’d think he was a Blumaroo… wonder if we should call up King Roo and let him know someone’s ripping the family name. I bet Lilo could get us in contact.”

     Layton hummed next to him, looking equal parts exasperated and amused. “I think Lilo Blumario is busy keeping his team focused on bringing the Cup home. Something you should probably also be more focused on.”

     Tandrak sighed, slinging his arm around Layton’s neck as they headed back to Team Darigan’s lodgings. They hadn’t been in Altador very long, but Tandrak was already roaring for a fight, on the pitch or off it — he wasn’t picky about where and when but he had to put Roo in his place. Okay…maybe Layton was right. They had known each other since they were kids after all, and rose through the ranks together, built a team together and won the cup together as teenagers from a less respected land with everything to prove, and again as matured, settled adults. Layton knew him better than he knew himself sometimes. Maybe he was a little too preoccupied with one player instead of focusing on the big picture. Besides, if they won the Cup again, Tandrak would cement his place as top Doglefox, and it wouldn’t even be up for debate who was better between Roo and him. “Listen, I have my eye on the big prize. You know that. Have I ever let you down before?”

     Layton shrugged out from under Tandrak’s arm as they reached their suite, fishing his keys out but pausing before actually unlocking the door. He turned instead to face Tandrak and met his eyes steadily. “Never.” He paused, sighing and reaching up to flatten an unruly tuft of fur on Tandrak’s head. “This just has you really agitated and I don’t like seeing you this upset. You know the whole world isn’t going to forget about you because a bunch of losers from an island none of us have ever heard of think they can keep up with the big leagues. You’re Tandrak Shaye. The world forgetting about you would be about as likely as them forgetting about that oaf Skarl.” There was the captain he knew and loved. Fierce on and off the court, and with an intimidating reputation - but a fretting mother hen and devoted friend behind the scenes.

     Tandrak laughed as Layton finally turned to open the door, and followed him into their modest accommodations. Layton immediately slithered towards his bed and flopped face down on it. Tandrak walked past him to his own bed by the window and sat down on it, still feeling too riled up to rest.

     He glanced outside into the bright Altadorian summer day. It was always a bit of a shock when they arrived every summer - even on its best days, the Citadel never got sunshine like this. They always tried to take advantage of it as much as they could — though lathering up in sunscreen was a must, and even with sunglasses sometimes if they were out there for too long on a cloudless day, their eyes would start to hurt from the sheer brightness. Still, he was looking forward to visiting the beach with Kep, Tormo, Reshar, and Layton of course.

     As he took in the beautiful view, he noticed a flash of periwinkle out of the corner of his eye. He tilted his head, squinted, and then clenched his fists when he recognized the Gelert that had been weighing on his mind, and before he knew what he was doing, he was on his feet and heading right back out of their room. “I’ll be back,” he called hastily, and as the door swung shut behind him he heard Layton make a sleepy, muffled noise of acknowledgement.

     A few long strides to the building’s exit and he was back outside, shielding his eyes from the bright sun as he scanned the surroundings for Roo. There. He took to the air and with several powerful flaps of his wings he was close enough for the other Gelert to notice him. Tandrak landed gracefully in front of him and crossed his arms, a glare already fixed on his face. “Shaye. To what do I owe the…. well, I can’t say pleasure is the right word,” Roo said, before Tandrak could get a word out.

     He sucked in a breath, fighting the urge to tackle him. There would be time for that on the pitch. Somehow Roo was even more obnoxious and unpleasant than he’d come across in interviews. “Roo. I just wanted to come introduce myself. I like to give back to the community as an actually successful and skilled Yooyuball player. Good luck in the tournament. Don’t cry too hard if Dacardia’s dead last in the standings. I’m sure you’ll improve with time. We can’t all podium our first year.”

     Roo laughed. “You think you impress me? I won’t even have to work hard to beat you. I know your weaknesses. Your body already works hard enough to beat itself. Hope you don’t sprain your wrist again this tournament. Would be awfully sad if Darigan dropped to its worst placement ever for a second year in a row, eh? Personally if that happened to Dacardia, I’d take it as a sign that it was time to retire. You and your geriatric captain can’t keep up anymore. None of your team can. It’s a new era of Yooyuball. He’s going to break a hip trying.”

     Tandrak could tolerate rudeness about himself. But about Layton? He certainly could not abide. That was his captain. His best friend.

     He shoved Roo hard, smirking as he heard the dull thunk of the other Gelert’s head hitting the wall of the aqueduct behind him, and then took a step forward, holding his arm against Roo’s shoulder to keep him there. For all Roo’s big talk, Tandrak was both taller and stronger and they both knew it. There were some perks to the curse that had befallen Darigan’s citizens. After some half-hearted struggle, Roo finally settled enough that Tandrak was able to lean close enough to whisper - quiet enough that any bystanders wouldn’t be able to hear but that Roo would understand him clearly. “You are an obnoxious child in love with your own ego. You talk a lot for someone who is nothing in this league and everyone knows it. If you so much as look at Layton wrong, that storm that destroyed your island will only be the second worst thing that’s ever happened to you. Are we clear?”

     They stared each other down for a few moments - before Roo finally blinked. “Crystal.”

     Something had shifted in his expression and if Tandrak didn’t know any better, he’d say the other Gelert was impressed.

     Tandrak finally let go of Roo and took a step back, giving him some breathing space, but the smirk stayed fixed on his face. “I’m glad we had this talk.”

     Roo smoothed out a few wrinkles from his shirt that had formed after Tandrak had grabbed him, wrinkling his nose in disapproval. Still, there was something looser and more genuine in his expression now, though the mischievous glint in his eye didn’t disappear completely. “You know you could’ve just said you were jealous,” he scoffed. His tone had shifted - less poisonous and more teasing than it had been earlier.

     “What’s there to be jealous of?” Tandrak said with an eye roll as he walked backwards a few steps. “Good luck, Roo. I meant it when I said it earlier. You’ll need it.”

     He finally turned and took a few more steps before getting enough momentum to begin flying again. His exhaustion from training was finally starting to hit now that he’d gotten the adrenaline and tension of dealing with Roo out of his system.

     He flew back to their rooms and let himself in quietly. Layton was still laying on his bed but he’d shifted into a more comfortable sprawl. Tandrak moved quietly in the hopes that he wouldn’t wake him.

     Stealth was futile. The Hissi shifted, and straightened up, yawning and stretching his wings out. “Where’d you go?” He asked.

     Tandrak was suddenly very glad he had red fur because it masked the embarrassed flush his face took. “Erm, well…you see I…”

     Layton took pity on him and put him out of his misery. “Ruffaele Roo?”

     Tandrak nodded, not meeting his eyes. He busied himself with changing out of his sweaty clothes and into softer pyjamas for the nap he so desperately needed to take.

     Layton slithered over and placed a hand on Tandrak’s shoulder. “I meant it when I said it earlier. I know you’d never do anything to hurt this team. Not on purpose. We trust you. I trust you. I trust your judgement.”

     Tandrak finally met Layton’s piercing gaze again, and smiled, finally fully relaxing for the first time that day. “It was nothing important. I just wanted to make sure Dacardia got the memo that we’re not to be messed with. I think he got the message. We have an understanding now. You know how kids are.” He finished changing, tossing his dirty clothes in a hamper in the corner of the room before collapsing face first into his bed – much like Layton had done earlier.

     Layton sounded amused when he next spoke, and Tandrak could perfectly picture his fond expression in his mind. “I’m sure you’ll tell me all about it after your nap. For now, get some rest. I already promised Reshar we’d go to the beach in the evening. He deserves to stretch his fins out in an actual ocean every once in awhile.”

     Tandrak smiled sleepily, tucking his face against his pillow. “Yes, captain.”

     The End.