Two days later, Aaliyah arrived at the archery range, where the competition was being held. She had paid the registration fee, and received a number: 13. She didn't mind the unlucky number, she thought it suited her.
She wore her disguise, and carried a bow and a quiver of arrows that she had borrowed from the innkeeper. She had practiced a little with them, and found them to be decent enough. She also had her fire magic, which she planned to use discreetly, and only when necessary.
She looked around, and saw that there were many other competitors. Some of them looked professional, and confident, while others looked nervous, and amateurish.
She spotted the woman who had mocked her, and saw that she had a number: 7. She also saw that she was talking to a man, who had a number: 8. He was tall, and blond, with blue eyes. He wore a leather vest, and pants, and had a crossbow and a quiver of bolts on his back. He looked like a hunter, and a skilled one. He also looked smug, and arrogant.
Aaliyah overheard their conversation, and learned that they were partners, and that they had entered the competition together.
They were planning to split the prize money, and to eliminate anyone who got in their way. They also seemed to know some of the other competitors, and to have some grudges against them. They were making fun of them, and betting on who would lose first.
"Look at that one," the woman said, pointing at a man who had a number: 12. He was short, and chubby, with brown hair and glasses.
He wore a green tunic, and pants, and had a wooden bow and a quiver of arrows on his back. He looked like a scholar, and a novice. "He can barely hold his bow, let alone shoot it. I bet he won't even hit the target."
The man laughed, and said, "You're right, he's pathetic. He should stick to his books, and leave the archery to the real experts. Like us."
They high-fived, and continued to scan the crowd.
"What about that one?" the woman asked, pointing at a woman who had a number: 9. She was tall, and slender, with black hair and green eyes.
She wore a red dress, and a cloak, and had a silver bow and a quiver of arrows on her back. She looked like a noble, and a beauty. "She's too pretty to be here. She probably thinks she can charm her way to the prize. I bet she can't even pull her bowstring."
The man smirked, and said, "You're right, she's too delicate for this. She should stick to her parties, and leave the archery to the real warriors. Like us."
They kissed, and continued to scan the crowd.
"What about that one?" the woman asked, pointing at Aaliyah, who had a number: 13. . "It's the little girl who wants to defy me."
The man frowned, and said, "You're right, she's too young for this. She should leave the archery to the real champions. Like us."
They glared, and continued to scan the crowd.
Aaliyah felt a surge of dislike, and contempt. She thought they were rude, and selfish. She also thought they were overconfident, and underestimated their opponents. She wanted to teach them a lesson, and to make them regret their words. She wanted to beat them, and to win the competition.
She ignored them, and focused on the rules. The competition would start with the first round, where each competitor would shoot at a target from 50 meters away. The target had five rings, each with a different color and score.
The bullseye was worth 10 points, the next ring was worth 8 points, the next one was worth 6 points, the next one was worth 4 points, and the outer ring was worth 2 points.
Each competitor would have three shots, and the total score would determine their ranking.
The top 16 competitors would advance to the second round, while the rest would be eliminated.
Aaliyah thought the first round was easy, and simple. She had no problem hitting the target from 50 meters away, even without using her fire magic. She was confident that she would make it to the second round, and that she would score higher than the woman and the man.
She waited for her turn, and watched the other competitors. She saw that some of them were good, and accurate, while others were bad, and clumsy.
She saw that some of them used different types of bows, and arrows, while others used crossbows, and bolts. She saw that some of them had special features, and enhancements, while others had none. She saw that some of them had supporters, and cheerleaders, while others had none.
She noticed that there was one competitor who stood out from the rest. She had a number: 14. We could tell she was a girl, about the same age as Aaliyah, but she had a hooded cloak that covered her face, and her body.
She had a bow and a quiver of arrows on her back, but she didn't use them. She used her hands, and her magic.
She created arrows out of thin air, and shot them with a flick of her wrist. She hit the bullseye every time, and scored 30 points. She was the only one who did that, and she did it effortlessly.
Aaliyah was impressed, and curious. She wondered who the girl was, and what kind of magic she had. She wondered why she hid her identity, and what she wanted. She wondered if she was a friend, or a foe. She wondered if she would meet her in the final round, and what would happen then.
She felt a spark of interest, and challenge. She wanted to know more about the girl, and to test her skills against hers. She wanted to compete with her, and to win.
She smiled, and waited for her turn.
When her turn came, she walked up to the shooting line, and took out her bow and arrows. She adjusted her mask, and looked at the target.
She took a deep breath, and drew her bow. She aimed, and released. Her arrow flew through the air, and hit the bullseye. She heard a loud cheer from the crowd, and a faint clap from the girl.
She smiled, and repeated the process. She shot two more arrows, and hit the bullseye twice more. She scored 30 points, and tied with the girl. She heard a louder cheer from the crowd, and a louder clap from the girl.
She smiled, and turned to face the girl. She saw that the girl had lowered her hood, and revealed her face. She was beautiful, and exotic, with dark skin, and golden eyes. She wore a silver tiara, and a pendant, that sparkled in the sun. She looked like a princess, and a legend.
She smiled, and said, "Well done, number 13. You're good. Very good."
Aaliyah smiled, and said, "Thank you, number 14. You're good too. Very good."
" I'm Zara and you are Aaliyah right" asked the girl.
"Yes, Zara. We both want to win the competition, and we can't both win it." Aaliyah smirked.