The Ardent Archer

Many years ago when chivalry was ordinary, and opulence was less so, there lived an ambidextrous archer who was renowned worldwide for his skills. After thriving for years and becoming incredibly wealthy due to his talent, and his fortitude, the archer became restless, and depressed.  One day, the archer had an epiphany, the quiet village in which he lived was bereft of talent, nostalgic beauty, and most of all, excitement.  The archer decided to leave the quiet village, for the large, bustling city twenty miles north, he was sure that this city would provide the excitement he so desperately longed for.  After a long journey, the archer entered the city tentatively, and gaped at the astounding size and architecture around him.  Suddenly, the archer noticed a large caravan of insidious looking men on majestic steeds, judiciously making its way towards the portcullis.  When the caravan arrived the archer immediately recognized the dour expression of his mentor, from which the archer had learned every aspect of his craft.  His mentor approached him quickly with an obvious sense of purpose. After a moment of tense silence, the archer's mentor described a similar sense of depression that had plagued the archer, that sense of depression is the factor that led the archer's mentor to this city.  All at once the archer and his mentor had the exact same thought; an archery contest to forever determine who was the greatest archer in the land.  In the years since the archer and his mentor parted ways, the archer spent his time finding inner peace and studying the intricacies of the human mind.  His mentor, however spent his time augmenting his physical strength.  After weeks of training, and anticipation the entire city gathered to witness the contest of the century.  The archer's mentor dazzled the crowd with his strength, while the archer focused inwardly, trying to find that certain part of any man, deep down, that leads that man to greatness.  With the same stolid expression that the archer had worn all day he raised his bow needing a single bullseye to forever cement his name in history as the greatest archer of all time.  The tension in the city was noticeable, the silence would have been unbearable for any weaker men, and yet the archer and his mentor stood perfectly still.  The archer drew his bow, released, and the entire city gasped collectively as the archer hit his mark, proving once and for all that metaphysical strength, and calmness will always trump any amount of physical strength.