Perspectives of a Horse who could not understand words, only feelings
A Horse with No Name — Part 3
Story of a horse who found his freedom
Prologue
This is the third part of the fiction, A Horse with No Name. If you haven’t read the initial parts, please read from below.
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One morning after practice, the frowny guest came with a colorful outfit and dressed Sunny attentively.
The outfit’s silky texture and warmth comforted Sunny slightly, and the frowny guest, though stern, displayed a faint trace of affection as he dressed him.
It was like a butcher carefully sharpening his knife before getting to work. He pulled Sunny’s rope to look very close to his face and said intensely
“Your time has come, Sunny. Prove yourself. Run like your life depends on it — because it does!”
When Sunny locked eyes with the frowny guest, an icy dread coursed through him. Trapped and powerless, fear gripped him like never before.
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Chapter 7: Win or Perish!
The frowny guest led Sunny to the racing arena. As they entered, Sunny’s gaze widened in astonishment. His focus shifted from fear to the vibrant energy surrounding him.
The arena was vast and alive, filled with thousands of cheering voices merging into a deafening buzz. Banners waved as the crowd’s excitement surged like an unstoppable tide. The distant echo of an announcer’s voice crackled through the speakers, hyping the crowd with calls of excitement.
Sunny stepped onto the racing track, its white sand watered and levelled to perfection, resembling a pristine ring of snow amidst the electrified crowd.
The air carried a rich blend of scents — dampened sand, the smooth tang of polished leather, the earthy musk of horses, and the faint, mouthwatering aroma of roasted nuts and sizzling food wafting from nearby stalls.
He scanned the track and saw other horses adorned in elaborate outfits, with their handlers whispering to them. Sleek and polished, their bodies seemed chiseled for competition.
Their eyes showed nothing but the wild quench of a hunter ready to hunt, their legs thick and taut with years of training, nostrils flaring with determination.
Sunny’s gaze shifted to the black stallion beside him. Towering and formidable, the stallion’s glossy black coat shimmered under the sunlight. His nostrils quivered, releasing bursts of heat like an untamed furnace. His eyes pierced the track ahead with unshakable focus as if the world around him didn’t exist.
His mere presence exuded courage so wild it made Sunny doubt his own strength. For a moment, admiration and fear tangled within Sunny’s chest as he wondered if he could truly measure up.
The frowny guest noticed Sunny's feelings. He glanced at the black stallion standing beside Sunny. Born of champion bloodlines and trained for the track from the moment he could stand, he embodied the very essence of a racehorse.
His strong black torso and immense strength made him known as Raiden no Kage, the shadow that strikes like thunder, unyielding and unstoppable!
The crowd chanted his name as though they were calling upon the god of thunder!
The frowny guest murmured to Sunny. His voice carried a tone of calm assurance.
“The others may have strength, Sunny, but they don’t have your spark. When the gun sounds, own the track and run!”
Sunny felt a wave of relief as the frowny guest, once the source of his fear, now offered an aura of assurance; he regained his demeanour and got ready for the race.
The handlers snapped their whips as the gun fired, and the horses bolted forward, igniting the race. The crowd went wild as the race started. The track thundered with the pounding of hooves as the horses surged forward, each stride kicking up flecks of white sand.
Sunny led the race initially. The crowd’s cheers became a muffled backdrop as he gradually gained momentum. His legs moved with precision, his muscles propelling him forward with every stride. He was feeling focused, with winds gushing in his face, the silky texture of the outfit softly rubbing against his body; he got into a trance-like state.
Sunny’s trance broke as the thunder of hooves surged past him. He saw the black stallion effortlessly leading the race, growing farther away with each passing second. Sunny gasped for breath for a moment, his strides faltering as doubt crept in.
In this moment of doubt, the fear kicked in.
The memory of the whip’s sting and the frowny guest’s sharp yells pulled him into a suffocating spiral, his chest tightening as the pounding hooves of his competitors reverberated in his ears.
His pace decreased gradually, with other horses taking over him one by one. Sunny never felt more lonely and scared, and his mind went to the farm and the farmer, and he remembered all the time he was happy.
The sharp yell of the frowny guest jolted him back to reality.
He shook his head, regaining awareness. The steady beat of his hooves against the track became his anchor. One stride at a time, he thought to himself, his breathing evening out as he rediscovered his rhythm. He remembered the techniques he learnt during the training and started applying them.
He overtook the other horses one by one, closing in towards the black stallion. He could hear the crowd chanting his name louder and louder as he advanced, giving Sunny a new feeling.
He began to think about the admiration from the frowny guest if he won and the fodder he would get after the race. He could see the finishing line, and the black stallion was the only horse ahead.
Raiden no Kage raced like a shadow cutting through the blinding light of the white sand, but Sunny could feel the gap closing.
He surged forward, neck and neck, with the black stallion. The two horses raced as if locked in a battle of wills, their movements synchronized.
The speaker announced
“Will Sunny be able to beat the legendary Raiden no Kage?
Sunny is a horse who merely adapted to racing, but the black stallion was moulded in the environment since birth.”
As the finish line drew closer, Sunny’s vision blurred for a moment. His eyes closed instinctively, and he was back at the farm. He saw the farmer’s kind face, the way his eyes crinkled with joy whenever Sunny leapt over haystacks, his laughter ringing out like music.
He suddenly remembered jumping around the farm that made the farmer laugh with amusement, and as the finish line approached with the two horses tied, Sunny made a surprise move;
he bent his legs and leapt into the air, soaring over the black stallion’s path towards the finish line, With a defiant neigh that echoed like a warrior’s battle cry!!
The crowd gasped; their cheers turned into a collective roar of amazement as Sunny landed smoothly and crossed the finish line — ahead by a split second.
Sunny had done the impossible; he beat the legendary Raiden no Kage by a split second and won his first race!
The announcer’s voice boomed over the speakers.
‘Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new champion, behold Sunny the Galloping Stallion!’
The crowd erupted, chanting his new title, a name that echoed his meteoric rise to glory.
For the first time, Sunny felt not just like a scared horse but like a champion destined for greatness! His chest swelled with pride and face grinned.
Chapter 8: The newfound purpose
The frowny guest approached Sunny at the finishing line, his usual stern demeanour replaced by a wide grin. He patted Sunny’s neck and said
“What a finishing! I’ve never seen anything like that in my career!
This is just the beginning Sunny! We will win numerous races together!”
Now that you’ve won, there is a surprise visitor for you!
Through the blur of faces in the crowd, Sunny spotted the farmer and his neighbours. The farmer was waving his hat, tears streaming down his face as he rushed toward Sunny. When he reached him, he wrapped his arms around Sunny’s neck, laughing through his tears.
“You did it, my boy! I knew you could! I’m so proud of you! I missed you so much!”
“I doubted myself when I let you go, Sunny, But seeing you today, I know it was the right thing.”
“That jump”, the farmer said, his voice choked with emotion.
“It was just like when you used to leap over haystacks. But today, you leapt into something bigger than you!”
Sunny felt a warmth spread through him, the kind that only the farmer’s touch and voice could bring. For a moment, it was just like old times.
Sunny nuzzled the farmer’s shoulder as the frowny guest patted his head, bridging his two worlds.
The frowny guest told the farmer
“This is why I insisted you wait until after the training. Sunny needed to find his own strength before seeing you again. And now, we’ve witnessed a champion born!”
“Now get ready to collect the winnings! There is more coming! You can visit him after the races now!”
The frowny guest’s smile, the farmer’s laughter, and the crowd’s cheers surrounded Sunny in a wave of overwhelming joy.
Adrenaline coursed through Sunny’s veins, his heart racing as he soaked it all in. He had never felt this way before. The joy, the pride, the rush — it was intoxicating.
This is it, Sunny thought to himself.
This is my purpose. I will win every race. I will make everyone happy.
As the sun set over the arena, casting a golden glow on the cheering crowd, Sunny stood tall, basking in the glory of his victory.
End of part 3
Is it happily ever after now?
What adventures await Sunny the Galloping Stallion?
In the process of making everyone happy, will Sunny forget to be happy?
Coming in the next part!
— UPDATE: Part 4 is out now!
A Horse with No Name Part 4
I hope you had a thrilling read on Sunny, the underdog, taking over the legendary Raiden no Kage! It was very exciting to write this part as well!
Thanks for spending your valuable time reading Sunny the Horse’s adventures! I’m also looking forward to seeing how the story unravels as I write it.
Please let me know your valuable suggestions and feedback at sreekiranar@gmail.com or LinkedIn.
