A Test Of Pride ✰

Kaelen ignored him. He saw a hawk dip in the distance—a sign of a rising thermal. He drew back, his muscles screaming. But as he aimed, he noticed Elias’s hand trembling. The champion wasn't looking at the target; he was looking at the crowd, terrified of their judgment.

In that moment, Kaelen realized that if he won, he would be doing exactly what Elias had done: tying his entire worth to a piece of metal and the roar of a crowd.

For Kaelen, the Kingdom’s Archery Trials were the only way to restore his family’s disgraced name. Every arrow he notched was a debt he intended to pay. For Elias, the reigning champion, the tournament was a formality—a pedestal he believed he owned by divine right. A Test of Pride

Elias walked over, his face a mask of cold fury. "You got lucky."

"I didn't win because I'm better than you, Elias," Kaelen said quietly, turning to walk away without the prize. "I won because I was willing to lose. You’re still at the line, even though the match is over." Kaelen ignored him

Kaelen stepped to the line. He felt the weight of his father’s old bow, scarred and unpolished. He watched the grass. He waited.

Kaelen unstrung his bow, feeling a lightness he hadn't known in years. He looked at the trophy, then back at the man who was now a slave to his own reputation. But as he aimed, he noticed Elias’s hand trembling

The final round was "The Gale’s Breath," a shot across a canyon where the winds shifted like a restless beast.