Eara

Eara flattened themself against the amber bark, tracking their rival’s movements through the rustling leaves below. This was the final test: whoever captured the other's patch first would be declared the day's winner. Since the day Aki passed through the clearing, every training session had become a test. The forest spirit’s blessing had been a quiet thing, a simple touch to the shoulder, but it had ignited a fire in Kael, who saw it as unearned. For Eara, it was just pressure. They wore the mask to muffle the expectations. Kael was faster, a storm of motion. Eara was stillness. Kael lunged. Eara didn’t flinch, letting them pass, and in that single overextended moment, plucked the frog patch from Kael's sleeve. Kael skidded to a halt, turning not with anger, but with grudging respect. "Again," Kael breathed. Eara simply nodded, tossing the patch back.