Test Of Pride | A

Elias stepped up first. He didn’t check the wind vanes; he didn't need to. He was the Great Elias. He released a shot that looked perfect, but a sudden downdraft caught the fletching, pulling the arrow an inch from the gold. The crowd gasped. It was a winning shot for anyone else, but for Elias, the sight of his arrow in the red ring was a puncture to his soul.

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

The silver trophy stood between Kaelen and Elias, not just as a prize, but as a mirror reflecting two very different kinds of hunger. Elias stepped up first

The final round was "The Gale’s Breath," a shot across a canyon where the winds shifted like a restless beast. He released a shot that looked perfect, but

"Shoot, boy," Elias hissed, his face flushed with the rare sting of imperfection. "Or are you waiting for the wind to apologize for your lack of talent?"

"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."