Vayu woke up in his room, his heart hammering, the memory of claws ripping his skin was still raw in his mind. His hand instinctively went to his chest, half-expecting torn flesh and open wounds but there was nothing. He patted down his whole body in disbelief, his body was whole and unharmed though his skin felt itchy and hot.
Beside him, the dagger lay clean untouched and the cuffs were neatly placed where he had left them.
He sat there for a long while, staring at nothing, replaying every moment of the fight. A thrill ran through him at the thought of him standing against the beast, but the memory of his death, the sensation of being torn apart, being skinned alive sent a chill through his bones. That monster, what kind of healing ability it had , it healed way too quickly, fought way too mercilessly, and worse, it had toyed with him before ending him.
His fists tightened. Every part of him wanted to charge back into the night and face it again. But is was already dawn and sun was about to rise and he knew rushing won't change a thing.
And for now the beast was not the priority
The annual competition, it was just two months away.
He couldn't afford to fail, and second he wanted to defeat Aspen.
The beast could wait.
At dawn, the training hall was already starting to get crowded. As students were practicing Kael stood at the center, his deep voice carrying across the training ground.
"This year's annual competition will be held in two months. The first round will take place in the mountains so from now on no one is allowed to enter there. You will hunt the beasts we've prepared and bring back proof of your kills like teeth, ears, horns whatever remains you can carry with you. Only the top twenty will qualify for the second round."
A murmur spread through the hall as Kael continued.
"There will be five wolves worth 100 points each, Twenty boars 50 points each, Thirty goats 10 points each. And one leopard 120 points. The passing score will be 80 points. The hunt will last for three days, you can eat what you kill. Stealing is allowed but not while two parties are engaged in battle. No teaming up, everyone fights for themselves with other people. No killing is allowed it is strictly prohibited, and if anyone breaks any rule they will be disqualified as the hunter squad will be watching your every step".
Excitement buzzed through the crowd. AS everyone was talking, Vayu without wasting any time because he was already behind the schedule.
Vayu tightened his cuffs, polished his dagger, and began preparing himself with renewed determination.
But he wasn't the only one eyeing the competition there were other people too.
SECOND ELDER'S HOUSE
In a quiet training hall, a young girl practiced under the watchful eyes of man, her movements were swift, precise, but still restless.
The door creaked open and the Second Elder entered the room.
"How is her training coming along, Shen?"
"She's improving," Shen replied calmly. "Breaking into the top five will not be a problem. But winning the first place… that will be difficult."
"Oh?" The elder's brows arched. "Who else except that Aspen child do you think stands in her way?"
"Aspen, yeah that boy have raw strength and a dangerous battle instinct he is a natural fighter and he knows how to use his build as a advantage and then there are also Jai and Vijay, the twin brothers last year they were second and third They had been training just as hard, and of course there may be any other variables."
The Second Elder's expression darkened. "There will be no variables".
Mei, bit her lip as she listened, anger boiling as she heard them talking. Her movements grew sharper, heavier, driven by anger. She hated being compared to her brother, her brother being a genius so no matter how hard she tried she was never able catch up to him. But to prove herself she wanted to be best among her peers but could not defeat Aspen. She had fought Aspen four times before, and had lost every time. He was built like a grown man tall, broad, powerful while she was quick but small. Speed was her only advantage, and even then, Aspen wasn't much slower then her.
In the first round, the forest might give her the advantage she needed against him. But in the second round, in a one on one situation with nowhere to hide he will overpower her easily, She wanted her brother to say her name, that she could stand equal to Aspen, to anyone. But instead, she was told to be "content.", she knew she would lose. That truth gnawed at her, and her brother's words only stung her more: "Be content with your training" he said.
Content? She clenched her teeth, rage burning in her chest. She didn't want comforting words , she wanted to win.
Fueled by that fury, Mei pushed herself harder.
THIRD ELDER'S HOUSE
"Call Aspen," the Third Elder commanded his subordinate and the man left the room.
Moments later, Aspen entered and bowed lightly. "Grandfather, you called?" after him the subordinate entered.
The old man's gaze was sharp. "Aspen, in this year's competition you must win, Crush that girl from the Second Elder's side, losing is not an option."
"The girl… Mei?" Aspen smirked. "Don't worry Grandfather, No one in my class can stand against me, I'll win for sure this time" he was confident in himself.
"Confidence is good," the elder said sternly. "But do not overestimate yourself and keep training."
He signaled his subordinate, who stepped forward carrying two gleaming axes. Forged from cold iron, heavier and sharper than common iron, with leather around the handles stitched nicely for a sturdy grip.
Aspen's eyes lit up as he grasped them, feeling their balance and weight. A grin spread across his face.
"Thank you, Grandfather."
The Third Elder's stern face softened with pride as he looked at his grandson and watch his excitement he felt content "Go. Train".
Aspen left the room, axes in hand, his steps quick with excitement. But in his mind, a darker thought stirred.
Not just Mei… I'll crush that mutt too. How dare he bark in front of me?
With that, he strode to the training hall.
As mentioned in earlier chapters it was told that children were divided in two groups:
1) One group practiced with Daggers.
2) One group practiced with Bow and Arrows.
Only three boys practiced archery in the village. Their training ground stood apart, opposite the normal training field, and so they rarely crossed paths with the other.
Near the tree line, behind the village there was a open space putting space between the village and the forest, the open space worked as training field for archery plus a guard post, Ryan stood straight, his movements were calm, sharp. A crude bow in his hand , it wasn't just the weapon that made him dangerous it was the way he moved, Not with just practiced skills, but with instinct, honed to perfection. He moved while shooting arrows one after another and shot 6 targets out of 10 .
"Again," a voice came from the forest as his brother emerged from the woods.
Ryan turned to see Tarak, his older brother, stepping out from the woods with a smile on his face Tarak said "Ready for this year competition".
Most people didn't even consider those who practiced with bows as true competitors. Once you closed the distance, it was game over, and archers were easy to dodge by constantly shifting positions. Even if they cleared the first round, they almost always failed in the second round.
But Tarak had prepared his little brother differently. Instead of relying on a dagger, Ryan had learned to throw knives and more importantly, he could shoot while moving. This gave him a absolute advantage, he could strike before anyone could closed the gap.
This year, Ryan was an unexpected variable no one had assumed, and Tarak couldn't help but grin as he imagined the looks on the faces of the other competitors and their mentors.