"Listen up, you males eyeing the Eagle Tribe throne!" Aria's voice pierced the air, cutting through the howling mountain wind. "You claim to be the strongest, the most worthy to lead, and the best equipped to protect me. If that's not just empty boasting, prove it on the battlefield! I, Aria, the last descendant of the pure bloodline, declare a blood contest today! Any male among you—regardless of clan or race—who brings the head of the Iron-Wing Lizard Queen to me before sunset will become my rightful husband and claim the throne of the Eagle Tribe!"
"Bring the Queen's head?" Kaelen, the Black Eagle captain, scoffed, his grip tightening on his stone axe. "That's suicide! The Queen is protected by hundreds of her flock!"
"If you're scared, step aside and let real males take the lead, Kae
