The Sky Isles of Lioaratheia

Back in the race, the wind howled between cliffs as Kael and Sedge surged through the sky in near-perfect sync, flanking Doma from opposite sides. Though they were opponents in the game, their instincts as seasoned Strikers kicked in—silent coordination forged from countless drills and shared skies.

 Kael veered low, cutting beneath Doma's flight path before rocketing upward in a sweeping arc meant to jar his balance. At the same time, Sedge climbed higher and dove with sharp precision, aiming a shoulder feint toward Doma's flank. The combined pressure forced the Windguard to swerve hard, clutching the Hovergem tightly against his chest as the wind snapped around him.

 Kael's leg swung out in a sharp arc, catching Doma's forearm with just enough force to jar his grip. The Hovergem tumbled loose, spinning in the air as Doma let out a grunt of surprise. In that instant, Sedge dove low from the opposite side, angling beneath the skirmish. With a sharp twist of his body and a lunge of his arm, he snatched the gem cleanly out of the air.

 "Got it!" Sedge barked, already pulling up into a climb, the Hovergem tucked tightly against his side as he broke away from the pack.

 As Doma twisted midair, trying to regain momentum, a sudden warmth pulsed through his back—unexpected and disorienting. His muscles tensed, then slackened all at once. A wave of dizziness washed over him like a heatwave, and his balance slipped.

 He dropped fast, landing hard in the tall grass below with a grunt.

 Hovering just above, Ava hovered with one hand still faintly glowing, the Aethermender's siphoning aura fading from her palm. Her expression was calm, almost apologetic—but her tactic had worked. She had drawn energy from the big Windguard, just enough to knock him from the race.

 For a brief stretch, Kael and Ava allowed Sedge to pull ahead, watching him weave through the shifting winds with the Hovergem gripped tight in one hand. He flew fast—but not untouchable.

 "Do you still have enough energy to boost?" Kael asked, his voice quick and low beside her.

 Ava didn't take her eyes off the path ahead. "Yes, but after this, I won't be able to catch up anymore."

 "Then boost me," Kael said, tone confident. "I'll handle Sedge. We're winning this."

 Ava nodded once. With a subtle twist of her wrist, the plates of her Galegear gauntlet opened, revealing a core of pulsing Aerolith. Pale green light shimmered at her palm as she placed it flat against Kael's back. A surge of wind-infused energy pulsed through her arm and into his suit.

 Ava's flight halted as she hovered mid-air, eyes tracking Kael while the recoil of her boost sent faint ripples through the grass below.

 Kael shot forward like a bolt, his figure streaking with Aerolith light as he cut through the gap between two rising windmills. In a breath, he was at Sedge's flank.

 Sedge flinched, surprised by the sudden presence.

 "Really?" Sedge growled. "Teaming up on me?"

 "You can yell all you want—just drop the gem," Kael replied coolly.

 Sedge banked hard left, trying to shake him off, but Kael matched every turn with surgical precision. The two Strikers battled mid-air, trading feints and shoulder bumps as their trails of wind curled behind them like ribbons in a storm. Their Galegear hummed and thrummed with energy, the winds screaming around them.

 Sedge made a sharp dive to slip low—but Kael anticipated it.

 At the last second, Kael twisted mid-glide, planted one boot against the back of Sedge's shoulder, and pushed off with a powerful burst. The force launched Sedge sideways—and directly into the turning blades of one of the old windmills.

 Sedge's arm clipped the wooden frame with a painful crack, his balance lost. The Hovergem tumbled free from his hand as he spiraled down, crashing through a patch of tall grass in a plume of dust and groan of frustration.

 Kael didn't slow. He snatched the Hovergem mid-spin, pulling up from the dive and rising again like a falcon who had just seized its prey.

 From far behind, Ardyn kept his eyes locked on the fading figure ahead—Kael, surging forward with blistering speed, growing smaller with each second. The wind roared in Ardyn's ears as he pushed himself harder, but the gap was widening. He was falling behind.

 Ardyn could already tell—they were nearing the final stretch. The race had nearly circled the entire isle, and the finish line was just beyond the far ridge, now barely a flicker in the distance. At this pace, there was no way he'd catch up. Kael was too far ahead, a blur against the wind-carved sky, and Ardyn's lungs burned with the effort of just staying airborne. Doubt gnawed at him, the reality sinking in—he was too late. 

 But something else caught Ardyn's attention.

 A surge of wind burst from the edge of the isle, a sudden, violent draft that rippled the grass below and scattered loose leaves into the air. Then—another, exactly a few seconds later. Ardyn narrowed his eyes. There was a rhythm to it.

 A pattern.

 He counted silently. One… two… three… another burst.

 Without hesitating, he veered toward the cliffside—toward the source of the gusts. It was a dangerous path, where the edge of the isle dropped into endless sky. One wrong move and he'd tumble into open air with no ground to catch him.

 He tightened his body, angled his limbs just right.

 The wind burst again.

 It hit him like a wave.

 His breath caught as the force slammed into his back, stretching the skin of his face and roaring past his ears. But it worked—he was flying, no, darting, slicing through the air like an arrow loosed from a bow. The world blurred around him, and in that moment, Ardyn was faster than he had ever been.

 Kael cruised just above the final incline, the Hovergem secured snugly at his side. His grip was steady, his breathing even. With the finish line just ahead and the wind at his back, he allowed himself a flicker of satisfaction. There was no one in sight behind him—victory felt certain.

 Then a sudden blast of wind screamed past his right side.

 Kael jerked his head toward it—too late.

 A blur of motion streaked beside him, so fast it warped the air in its wake.

 The Hovergem was gone.

 Kael's eyes widened. His hand clutched at air. "What—?"

 Ahead of him, a shape darted through the sky like an arrow fired from a giant's bow. Ardyn. His figure wavered in the heat of speed, wind trailing from his limbs like streaming flags.

 Kael gritted his teeth.

 With a growl, he thrust his gauntleted hand forward, fingers curled into a punch. The Galegear hummed with power, then erupted with a focused blast of wind that shot toward Ardyn, closing the short distance between them in an instant.

 The strike hit true—Ardyn's hand flinched back from the blow, and the Hovergem tumbled free, spinning wildly into the air. The force of the hit threw off his balance, cutting through his forward momentum like a snapped line. He jerked midair, arms flailing slightly as the speed that had carried him like an arrow suddenly broke, leaving him suspended and scrambling to regain control.

 They were nearly at the finish.

 Kael surged ahead, body twisting mid-flight, and snatched the gem out of the air. A heartbeat later, he crossed the marked line with a rush of wind behind him.

 A second gust followed—Ardyn landed hard just past the line, panting, chest heaving with the effort. His hair whipped around his face, his cheeks red from the windburn, but his eyes sparkled with something electric.

 Kael approached Ardyn, the Hovergem still clutched in one hand, his other extended toward him. "You almost got me," he said, a light smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.

 Ardyn, still catching his breath, reached up and shook his hand. "Just luck," he replied, voice winded but steady.

 One by one, the rest of the Cirrans began to gather around them. Sedge landed with a soft thud and gave Ardyn a firm tap on the shoulder. "Not bad, rookie," he said, his tone somewhere between impressed and begrudging.

 Ava followed, her usual quietness softened by a grin. "I think we've got a new prodigy," she said, arms crossed as she gave him a quick once-over.

 Then came Pimri and Doma, skidding in dramatically like they'd missed the landing on purpose. Pimri flopped onto the grass beside Ardyn with a theatrical groan. "I liked it better when I was the fastest," he moaned, shielding his eyes with one hand, like he couldn't bear to look after losing.

 Doma just laughed and ruffled Ardyn's already-wild hair. "Looks like you made an impression, kid."

 From across the field, the sound of clapping grew louder as Captain Seris, Roe, and several of the Cirran staff approached. Seris wore a rare, approving grin, binoculars now slung at his side. Roe gave a low whistle, his usual stoicism softened with pride.

 "Well done, both of you," Seris said, his voice carrying just enough to quiet the chatter. "That looked like two winners to me."