Jaxon, Astra, and Axel stood at the edge of the racing arena, the sound of roaring engines and cheering fans filling the air. They had been waiting for this day for three long days, and now the final thundercycle race was upon them.
"Are you guys ready for this?" Astra asked, trying to sound confident.
Jaxon turned to her and flashed a grin. "Ready as I'll ever be."
Axel nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we got this. Just gotta stay focused and stick together."
As they made their way to the pit area, they could see the other racers getting ready. The atmosphere was tense, and everyone was focused on the race ahead.
Axel quickly began preparing their thundercycle checking the engines and making sure everything was in order.
Jaxon felt a sense of nervous energy as he looked at the other racers, sizing them up as they prepared themselves for the race.
As the three of them approached the Robo-racer, they noticed that it had completely shut down.
"What the hell happened?" Jaxon said, frustrated.
Astra looked at Axel, "Didn't you create this thing?"
Axel shook his head, "I did, but I can't explain what's happening. It was working perfectly fine yesterday when we tested it."
Jaxon cursed under his breath, knowing that he couldn't back out now.
"Well, we don't have time to figure it out," Jaxon said, looking at the other racers who were already lining up at the starting line. "I'm going to have to ride the Thundercycle."
"Are you sure about that?" Astra asked, her voice laced with concern. "The Thundercycle race dangerous."
"I don't have a choice," Jaxon replied, looking at her. "We need to win this race, no matter what. We can't afford to lose the artifact."
Axel nodded in agreement, "Don't worry, I'll try to figure out what went wrong with the Robo-racer."
Jaxon gave him a grateful smile while he climbed onto the thundercycle and revved the engine, preparing himself for the race. The commentator announced that all competitors should make their way to the starting line.
As Jaxon made his way to the starting line, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He had to win this race, not only for the prize money but also to secure the artifact that Krynn had in his possession.
As he waited for the race to begin, Jaxon couldn't help but feel nervous. He had never ridden the Thundercycle before, and he knew that it was going to be a difficult race. The other racers were already revving their engines, and the crowd was cheering loudly.
"Are you ready for this?" Astra asked through the comms.
"I have no other choice," Jaxon replied, his eyes fixed on the race ahead.
When the countdown reached zero, he hit the throttle and took off, the wind whipping through his hair.
The first lap was rough for Jaxon as he struggled to navigate the unfamiliar race course while that the Thundercycle was much harder to handle. He finished the lap as the last racer, feeling discouraged. But he refused to give up. He knew that he was a skilled pilot, and he had to prove it.
On the second lap, Jaxon had a better understanding of the course and began to gain momentum. He managed to climb up to the second position, feeling hopeful. But then, he realized that the racer behind him had let him pass him, and he was now sandwiched between the first and third position. It was a trap, and they were trying to sabotage his bike.
"That's odd," Astra said over the comms. "Be careful, Jaxon. They might be trying to sabotage you."
Jaxon managed to dodge the incoming attacks, but he ended up back in last place. He knew he had to come up with a plan, and fast. He called Astra and Axel on his comms and asked them about a specific tunnel that wasn't being used as much during the race.
"Do you guys know anything about the unused tunnel in this course?" Jaxon asked his team.
"Yeah, its a shortcut, but it's not easy to navigate. It's filled with deadly traps. Only the most skilled racers can make it through in one piece." Astra responded via the comms.
Jaxon's eyes narrowed. "I need to take that shortcut to win this race. We can't afford to lose."
Astra chimed in, "Jaxon, are you sure about this? It's too risky."
Jaxon cut her off. "I'm sure. We have no other options left. I have to take the shortcut."
"Alright, I'll guide you through the tunnel. But you have to be quick and precise. One wrong move and you'll end up dead."
Jaxon took a deep breath and focused his mind. "Okay, tell me what I need to do."
"Once you enter, you'll have to avoid the first trap, which is a laser grid. Then, there's a wall of fire that you need to fly through. After that, there are three spinning blades that you'll have to dodge. Then, you'll encounter a room filled mines together with ditches. If you can make it through that, you'll come out on the other side of the course in no time."
Jaxon revved his engine and sped towards the tunnel entrance, his heart pounding in his chest. As he entered the tunnel, he saw the laser grid ahead and swerved to avoid it. He could feel the heat of the flames as he passed through the wall of fire. The spinning blades came at him fast, but he managed to dodge them with quick reflexes. The mines and ditches followed with Jaxon missing the mines by inches and almost falling to his doom in spike filled ditches. However due to his experience as a pilot he was able to come out unscathed.
He managed to take the lead, but he could hear his two rivals closing in on him. They began shooting him with lasers and missiles.
Jaxon managed to dodge all their attacks, ejecting his weapons to gain speed and distance himself from them. But then, one of his attackers fired their last missile at him. Jaxon managed to dodge it, but it exploded on the side of his bike, causing damage to one of his bike's engines, which burst into flames.
Jaxon cursed under his breath, but he refused to give up. He directed all power to the remaining engine and gave one last push as he saw the finish line. He managed to escape his attackers but before he could finish the race, the other engine gave out, catching fire and ready to explode.
Jaxon quickly ejected out of the bike as it was engulfed in flames and exploded. His attackers passed his exploding bike and winning the race.
Astra and Axel exchanged a worried look as they saw Jaxon come down with his ejected seat.
They rushed over to him, their hearts pounding with fear. Jaxon was breathing heavily, sweat pouring down his forehead as he tried to catch his breath.
"Are you alright?" Astra asked, concern etched on her face.
Jaxon nodded weakly, his eyes closed as he took deep breaths. "I'm fine," he said finally, opening his eyes. "Just a little shaken up."
Axel shook his head. "You're lucky to be alive," he said. "That was a close one."
Jaxon nodded again, his expression grim. "Yeah, I know. But we can't dwell on that now. We've got bigger problems."
Astra and Axel looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
"We lost the race," Jaxon said, his voice filled with regret. "And we lost the artifact. And now we owe Krynn a debt that we can't pay."
Jaxon, Astra, and Axel stood in silence, staring at the wreckage of the thundercycle.
Astra and Axel exchanged another worried look. "What are we going to do?" Astra asked.
Jaxon took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "We need to find a way to pay off our debt," he said.
As they walked Jaxon couldn't help but feel a sense of despair. They had lost the artifact, and now they were in debt to Krynn. It seemed like everything they had worked for was falling apart.
But Jaxon was determined not to give up. He knew that they had come too far to let everything crumble now. They would find a way to pay off their debt, and they would get the artifact back. They just needed to stay focused and work together.