Every nation has that one person who excels over the others. Whether it be in economics, combat, literature... or archery.
Inazuman Bayler Velice has sailed over the crashing waves to attend Mondstadt's first archery competition to claim a victory...
That night, they'd stayed in the bell tower until the moon had started to set and the sun was taking its place. Amber had been the first to leave on behalf of her duty to the Knights, but Bayler stayed until the sun was high in the sky.
Nobody saw him scale down the bricks of the Cathedral or slink into the shadows. That also meant nobody saw the smile unconcealed by his mask or the light of hope in his eyes.
Ah, how wondrous it was to be in love, and to have the feeling returned.
He was now walking around the gates to Mondstadt. He couldn't stray very far, as the competition would be starting soon, and the officials had to make sure to call him when they were ready. Neither he nor Amber knew what the final challenge was, but it was going to supposedly be a mix between two of their challenges.
A row of targets had been set up in the shade. It was a hot day. The sun invited couples to walk up and down the dirt paths merrily, but it was extremely painful for those who were still working during the festival.
Bayler's bow was already in position. He shot arrow after arrow with precision, and each landed perfectly in the bullseye. He was about to collect his arrows when a sharp pain pierced through his finger.
He relaxed his shoulders and lowered the bow steadily as to not risk destroying it. The bow was moved to his other hand, and he raised his free hand to find out what the pain was from.
A small cut was now formed on his index finger. He already knew there was a permanent indent in the finger from shooting so often, he never before had he ever torn the skin open. A thin trickle of blood was seeping from the wound.
Bayler furrowed his brows and raised his bow again. General Gorou never would've let him stop just because he had a little boo-boo.
"Keep pushing forward, everyone! Don't let them overwhelm us!"
He could hear his general's voice as clear as if he were standing right next to him. Bayler respected Gorou immensely, and every word that came from his mouth was absorbed without question.
"A strong body shows strength and instills confidence in others around you."
Bayler shot an electro orb at the target directly in front of him, ignoring the growing wetness on his hand. The arrows on the surface disintegrated without requiring a second shot.
He hated that he had the memories he did. Bayler wanted nothing more than to purge his mind and live as if he'd never fought in the war. Often, he'd forget things in the present, but he could never forget the war. It was like his mind was out of storage for more memories.
There was General Gorou, and then there was Her Excellency...
"To survive hardship, you must prepare for hardship."
His memories were able to carefully paint out her large, kind eyes without a hitch. She was a good person, and deserved her high rank. Without her, not only would the army have fallen apart, even he wouldn't be walking on the Earth's surface.
"Hey Baaaaylerrrr!"
Amber's voice cut through his thoughts like a katana. His eyes dropped straight to his hand, then to the target. Instantly, he panicked.
Red was his hand in blood. The small cut had enlarged to cover the whole pad of his finger. Blood was running down his hand and drying before it reached his wrist.
The target was smoking. A gaping hole was where the bullseye had previously been. He must have been subconsciously shooting while he'd been thinking.
Amber ran past the Knights standing at the entrance to the city, turned her head in his direction, and waved. "Bayler, come on! It's time to go!"
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
