The Arena buzzed with people when the contest started. Every team stand still, unreadable. There were fire on their eyes.
The first game started and it was a race between them-not to everyone but a chosen one of each team by the team members themselves. It will be not count like if anyone cross the finish line first but on a certain time-they had to cross the finish line-but it not will a simple race because but full of challenges like crossing a cold pond and running with bare feet and on the race track, there were many tiny sharp-edge pebbles waiting like teeth.
Yuna from Grafe, Abigail from Wiston, Jack from Marble, Camila from Maze, Faith from Mount, Jayden from Lion, Jasmine from Olive, Noah from Halo, Stella from Ember, Nora from Nova, Weston from Phonix, Natalie from Swan, Lydia from Falcon amd Evan from Eclipse.
IF anyone could finish the race first will get 5 badge, 2nd will get 4 and 3rd will get 3 and others will get 2. And if anyone couldn't finish the cross line on time will be out of the game but will get 1 badge. And this rule will be follow in every contest. And they had to cover 1.6 km in 4 minutes.
The race was about to start and everyone toom their position and last time Yuna looked at her brother and her team member which was holding hope and pride on their eyes and it gave courage to Yuna more than any word.
The signal flared. A single drumbeat.
Begin.
They surged forward-a blur of limbs, dust, and grit.
Yuna's step were measured, short,sharp,like someone who had known pain before and made peace with it.
Some of them stumbled. One fell scraping his knees bloody but they didn't stopped.
Weston was on the first position from the beginning.
At 600 meters,the ground turned from dry and sharp to biting cold.
Yuna looked at her friends who were watching her from afar. There were hope, proud and trust on their eyes which give courage to Yuna more than anything.
She didn't hesitate. She leapt in-the shock of cold shot up her spine like lightning, but she didn't stop-neither the others.
She pushed through the water, her knees burning from the freeze, her breath catching in her throat.
She climbed out the other side but Weston, Jasmine amd Jack was still ahead of her.
The final stretch was uphill-a cruel incline, with more jagged stones and no path to avoid them. Her feet was bleeding now-crimson spots in her trail-but she never looked down. Some of them stopped at the last spot-couldn't able to run now-but some were still.
Jack stopped there because his feet was bleeding badly.
The crowd was silent.
watching. Not cheering. Just witnessing.
One minute left.
Only Weston amd Jasmine was ahead of her now.
She lowered her shoulders,lifted her knees higher, and charged.
The last 200 meters were agony-her breath came in gasps, her muscles crying with every stride
_
But she crossed the line just as the fourth minute struck.
Cirion watched her with pride-that how his little sister who he always protected now this much strong.
She didn't raise her arms.
She didn't collapse.
She just stood there, chest heaving, blood and water mixing on her feet, amd looked back at the path she had conquered.
Yuna rushed towards her friends amd hugged them.
"You did it Yuna". Ana said, her eyes were telling her pride on Yuna.
"It's all because all of you and thanks for choosing me believing in me". Then she grown towards her brother and hugged him like a little girl hugging her favourite toy.
"I am proud of you Yuna". Cirion claimed.
"It's what i wished for". Yuna whispered.
Then Ruslana and Mary putted Ointment on Yuna's wound while the second round was announced to start soon.
Charles said "I will go on the second round of Archer mark" then he turned to Naida and said "i want you to guide me".
Naida was silence for a second. This was a team round where the Archer's eyes will be covered with a cloth and there partners will guide them to hit on a moving target and not only that-the Archer also have to cross the Arena full of shooting arrows.
Naida looked at Ana which was watching the interaction quietly. She nodded to Naida.
This round will be divided into three sub rounds;
1) The Archer had to cross the shooting circulat field- only 3 hits will be count and if fourth one hit them the team will be out.
2) The Arched had to hit 5 times perfectly on the moving target-only 2 missing arrows will be count and if third will also loss them the team will be out.
3) The Archer had to shoot the arrow as far as possible.
The Archer will wore a shield on their body to minnimize the attacks.
The round started. Charles and Naida was from Grafe, Ethan and Mason was from Wiston, Colton and Avery was from Marble, John and Aubrey was from Maze, Hunter and Evelyn was from Mount, Zyaden and Hailey was from Lion, Aaron and Luke was from Olive, Olivia amd Damian was feom Halo, Zoey and Jett was from Ember, Mason and Scarlettle was from Nova, Myles and Joshua was from Phonix, Liam and Mia was from Swan, Jack and Declan was from Falcon, and Gabriel and Malthe was from Eclipse.
The arena was silent, but the air was thick with breathless anticipation. Dust stirred beneath the cloudless sky as Naida and Charles stepped forward. Cloth was already tied tightly over his eyes, and at his side, Naida was their-eyes scanning every inch of the field.
Round one:The dance of arrows
A bell range.
Dozen of hidden archers around the circular field drew their bows. The croud held it's breath.
"Left now!" Naida whispered sharply.
He lunged to the side-an arrow hissed past his shoulder, close enough to tug at his sleeve.
"Roll!" she commanded again.
He dropped, rolling under a low-aimed shot. Another arrow missed by an inch, slicing through his arm guard.
"That's two" she muttered, her voice tight with control. Everyone believed on her and he chose her because she could do it not because of sympathy or due to not any other option.
Charles breathing grew heavier. He couldn't see the arrows. He couldn't feel them coming. Only her voice, fast and crisp, like a compass in a strom.
Ana, Mary, Yuna, Cirion and Ruslana watched them-breath heavy with the circumstance.
"Wait-now forward. Stop. Crouch!."
The third arrow grazed his leg.
"Three fault" the judge called aloud. One more, and they were done.
The air shifted. Silence. No sound of string or wind. But she saw it-a shimmer, a slight movement above.
"Drop to your knees," She said, almost too softly.
He obeyed-
An arrow passed where his neck has been.
The bell rang again.
The first round was over.
Aria amd Darius watched from their seat.
"Do you think they will survive the next round?" Darius asked.
"Never judge a book by it's cover" Aria replied then added "never make a conclusion before the action and never rid off any hope before the end".
Round Two: The target in
Motion.
Charles stood once more, blindfold still over his eyes, but now with bow in hand.
A small circular wooden target began to move across the field on a rail-fast and silent.
"You have five arrows" Naida said, now standing behind him, hands on his shoulder to guide his angle. "Trust me".
He nodded. His fingers brushed the fletching of the first arrow.
"Lower. Left-good. A little more. Breathe…now".
Thwip.
The arrow soared-and struck the edge of the target.
"One fault" the judge called.
"No panic" Naida said gently. "We're not here to empress them. Just don't lossthe hope our team has on on".
He smirked.
"Right…up a little. Stop. Shoot".
Thwip.
The second one struck near the center.
"Again. Faster this time. Down. Yes. Fire!"
Thwip.
Third shoot-a perfect hit.
Ana, Mary, Yuna and Ruslana clapped from their seat while Cirion was observing them.
Another. Another. And another.
Only one arrow missed this time.
"I think you were right. We never have to judge anything just from the beginning" Darius claimed.
"War is not about always the smooth way it's gone but it can change it's way anytime. So never underestimate your opponent weak. Who knows one day their sword will be on your throat and you were on you knee". Aria said, boldly.
Round Third: The final
shot
Charles stood now with his blindfold removed. For the first time in the contest, his eyes were open-sharp, focused. Naida stepped back, silent now. Her part was done.
The final task was him alone.
He took his place at the final mark. A single arrow remained in his hand-long, weighted, perfectly balanced.
He looked at her once more. She nodded and then towards his team who was looking at him with pride and trust.
Charles drew the bowstring slowly, the arena gone quite once more.
Wind brushed his face. He adjusted his angle with a slight movement of his wrist.
Then he released. The arrow cut through the air like a whisper across still water.
Silence.
Then a distant sound-Clink.
A flag fell. The judges raised their hands.It was the fartest shot after a long year.
The crowd finally errupted, but all he heard was her footsteps as she approached.
"You weren't bad" she teased, bumping his shoulder.
"You were louder than the arrows" he said smirking. "But you kept me alive".
"Doesn't it sound poetic"she teased.
They bowed together. Not as just archer and guide-But as one mind, one heart. One team.