"Besides, it wasn't just any story.
It was Revolt of the Archers."
-Kal Ancalas, 12/29/10
Another day, another archer. Or rather, it used to be.
Since the first day on the job, Athena had taken up the duty of instructing the archers of Henesys, whether they be fresh-faced initiates, or seasoned rangers and snipers. It was her duty now, like it had been for her mother, and her mother before her. It wasn't the only duty of the Chieftain of Henesys - far from it - but it was a duty, and it was important. In recent years, however, the influx of new blood had been slowing down drastically.
Sometimes, Athena wondered, had it become a problem?
As Chieftain of Henesys, her mother had dealt with dozens of archers per day, so many that Athena had been tasked with helping out. By the time Athena had taken over the position, there were only a handful per day, and over time the number had kept on dwindling. Now, she would consider herself lucky to see even a single new face each day - and most of these faces were uncertain, even hesitant. Though she took pride in training these lost-looking children and shaping them into proud hunters and crossbowmen, some part in her did wish for some outstanding talent to walk through those great wooden doors. Someone who could one day achieve greatness, and perhaps one day even become the Chieftain after her, or more likely, after Gardner.
So, when that dark-haired boy strode into the room, with garnet-coloured eyes that gleamed with intensity and confidence much unlike the usual initiates that wandered into the town, Athena's keen gaze followed him closely.
"Good afternoon, young one," she began to say, but the boy cut her off mid-sentence.
"I want to take the path of the bowman," said the dark-haired boy. His voice was hard, and almost practiced.
Athena raised an eyebrow at the unusual tone. Perhaps he had rehearsed the words on his way over? Or perhaps it was just his natural level of confidence. "I must warn you that it's not going to be an easy path. The skills of a bowman are much more difficult to master than those of the other classes. You'll have to work extremely-"
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
Once again, the boy had cut her off as she was still speaking. Athena raised an eyebrow. The nerve! Not much respect for authority, that's for sure, Athena thought. But patience was one of Athena's strong suits - a skill developed over years and years of dealing with various brands of young, jittery, and immature initiates - so instead of giving the boy a taste of her sharp words, she just sighed. "Very well. Please give me your hand."
The boy complied even before she had finished speaking. Gently, Athena grasped his palm, and her finger traced the sigil of the archer on the back of his hand. She spoke the incantation then, practiced words turning easily from memory into magic, and with a brilliant golden glow outlining the newly-formed sigil on the dark-haired boy's hand, it was done.
"Use your gift wisely," she admonished him, though something told her that the boy was unlikely to heed her advice. Regardless, her words were in vain, because the boy had vanished out of the door before the sigil had even finished glowing. Athena hadn't even had the chance to pass the boy his beginner's bow and arrows.
He'll go to pieces, this one.
On one hand, Athena had been glad to see an initiate that had a sense of presence about them. No, this boy was not meek, he was no conscripted soldier hesitatingly making a choice to pledge themselves to the bow. This dark-haired, crimson-eyed youth had chosen his path with a decisiveness worthy of a bowmaster. On the other hand, though, something was... off. Something about this boy just didn't rest easily with her.
Whenever something didn't rest easily with the Chieftain of Henesys, something was really wrong.
Then she shrugged. Perhaps it was simply the brashness of youth. Perhaps it was a virtue in disguise. Or perhaps the boy would mature with time and grow into a proud adult. Either way, it was not worth worrying about.
Athena Pierce leaned over her scrolls once more and went back to work.
The village of Henesys is situated between Lith Harbor and Ellinia, built upon the rolling green fields and fertile farming lands at the happy midpoint between the sparkling ocean waves lapping onto the white stone bricks of the Lith pier and the great tangled forest of intertwined trees where branches and vines and all forms of life intersect and thrive.
In the hunting ground just west of Henesys, an eleven-year old boy with dark hair and red eyes was running. Strange eyes, they were. Ordinarily his eyes were sharp, yet mild - as mild as red eyes could be. But sometimes the red eyes seemed to flash a dark crimson in reaction to emotion. Back in the Chieftain's office in Mushroom Park, those eyes had flashed, and now those red eyes were still glittering with dark intensity, even as the boy's brand-new rubber boots glided swiftly across the grass.
"I am Gault Isentryx," the boy muttered to himself, as if reminding himself of his identity.
Those crimson eyes gazed upon a monster, a red-shelled snail, and up came the blue War Bow. An arrow nocked, a bowstring pulled, and wood creaked slightly as the dark-haired boy drew the bow, aiming it at the red snail with an uncannily practiced stance.
A sharp twang and the arrow was loosed, flying straight to the snail. The arrowhead struck true, piercing straight through the snail, its red shell shattering into pieces. The monster only had time to give a little whimper before its carcass evaporated into nothing, leaving behind only the remnants of its shell, and a small handful of bronze coins.
"I am Gault Isentryx," the boy repeated again in the same low mutter, "and I'll be the best archer in the world."
Once more, a dark glitter in those sanguine eyes. Once more, an arrow nocked, drawn, loosed onto a monster, once more a whimper, once more a carcass vanished into the ether.
A small smile began to tug on one side of the boy's mouth. He didn't look happy. It looked more like the grim smile of a person holding a long list of unpleasant tasks to complete, and who has struck off the first of many, many more entries to come.
"Let's see if I've still got it," the boy said to himself as he flipped through a small book titled The Skills of an Archer that he had taken on his way out of the elf bow woman's house. With a deft flick, Gault opened the book directly to the page titled ARROW BLOW. His eyes quickly scanned the instructions.
Let your mind do the seeing. As an archer, your dexterity enhances all your senses. Hearing, smell, touch, and taste... There is nothing th-
Gault stopped reading and growled out loud. The instructions were far too long-winded and covered so much useless information that was irrelevant to the skill. Instead his eyes briefly flickered across the diagrams, far too quickly for a person attempting it for the first time. Then he unceremoniously stuffed the book into his pocket and drew his bow once more.
"Arrow Blow," Gault whispered, and the magic began to flow.
The nocked arrow began to glow blue, brighter, brighter, as the boy poured more and more magic into the arrow at an incredible speed. In the blink of an eye the arrow was so bright that it looked almost white - it was hard to tell it was even glowing blue. Gault swiveled around sharply, looking for a victim less docile than the snails. A large green slime was the first thing he saw, and then he released the arrow.
Within an instant, the blazing arrow had shot forth and blasted the slime into oblivion in a single strike.
Again the grim smile as Gault watched the death of a monster before his eyes. The slime had been helpless. It hadn't even had time to understand its death before it had been obliterated. It had been completely and utterly outmatched by Gault. There was absolutely nothing it could have done, absolutely nothing it could ever do, even if more slimes were to recoalesce from thin air. It would always end the same way.
The smile on Gault's face widened. This time it reached his eyes.
He drew another arrow from his quiver and nocked it, ready to rain down more indiscriminate death upon the monsters in the hunting ground. He took aim at a particularly oblivious Stump, and-
"Thunderbolt!"
Gault's arcane-infused arrow whizzed through thin air and fell uselessly in the grass, as a flash of blue-white lightning (though less bright than his own arrow) struck down the Stump that he'd been eyeing.
Slowly, coldly, Gault turned around. Before him, he saw a magician, a warrior, and an assassin standing before him. Probably in their level 30's. All of them wore cruel smiles on their faces.
The other three classes, Gault thought with venom. Arrogant and self-important and obnoxious. As always.
The magician, still grinning, started to say, "Hey, man, nice-"
"Leave. Now." growled Gault in the most fearsome voice he could manage as an eleven-year-old, fury suffusing his entire being, as he glared directly at the magician, his red eyes glinting ominously even in the late afternoon light.
"Whoa there, no need for that!" The assassin stepped forth, palms up in the air. "We were just-"
"Get the fuck out of here." Gault raised his bow, another arrow already nocked. The arrow began to glow blue, aimed directly at the assassin's heart. He pulled the bowstring as far back as he could, and-
From the side, from Gault's blindspot, a sword struck straight through his bow, crushing the soft wood and breaking it into splinters. The tip of the blade nicked Gault on the elbow, a deep cut, and he fell to the ground, bleeding.
The warrior, who had somehow dashed up to Gault while he'd been aiming at the assassin, was yelling. "Don't you ever point that thing at a person, do you hear me? What do they teach you at archer school, huh? What if you hurt someone? Fucking archers! Do you hear me, you piece of shit?"
Oh I hear you all right, thought Gault. His bow was destroyed and his quiver had spilled its contents on the ground, so Gault grabbed the nearest arrow. Jumping to his feet and snarling, he channeled as much magical energy as he could into his hand and tried to stab the warrior with it. But the wood-shafted arrow simply snapped when it hit his armored opponent.
"Did you just-" the warrior was looking at Gault with a furious expression that was half disgust and half disbelief. With the pommel of his sword, he struck Gault across the temple, sending Gault flying five feet away and sprawling onto the ground. Then, while Gault's vision was spinning and he was still on all fours trying to regain his bearings, the warrior kicked Gault hard in the stomach, knocking the wind out of Gault with a gasp.
How dare you, Gault wanted to say. I'm better than you. But there was not enough air in his lungs to form words, and especially not as the warrior continued to kick him on the ground. Gault couldn't hear what he was saying, his ears were ringing, but he knew that the assassin had joined in the chaos as well.
It felt like forever.
Finally, they left, and Gault lay on the grass, panting, surrounded by splinters of blue wood and snapped arrows. Hot, hateful tears of fury came to his eyes and ran down his cheeks.
He lay there for a long time, fists clenched, body shaking, silently making wordless vows at everyone who was to blame.
I will get my revenge on you all. Someday.
His pupils glowed a fierce crimson as he lay in the grass.
THREE YEARS LATER
Dear Diary,
It's my birthday. I'm eleven years old now.
Today, I'm going to be an archer.
It's not really a family thing... My family's all warriors and mages. My dad is a mage, and my mom is - well, she was a warrior. She died giving birth to my younger brother, Ascion Blade. My older brother, Ark Wolfen, is a warrior, like her.
Yes, we've got two first names. Lots of people have it. I've got a last name too, but I can't tell you what it is. My parents told me that everyone has to protect their last name, otherwise the necromancers are gonna steal your soul, and lots of other stuff besides. I'm not really sure what that means. It's just what my dad told me before he left for that job a couple years ago. I'm not sure when he's coming back. Or if he'll ever come back at all. I don't know what happened to him, and I don't want to know, but I hope he's still alive out there.
I really miss him. I want to make him proud.
Did I mention Ark was a fighter? He went off to Perion a while back, and he came back with this huuuuge axe over his shoulder. Dad was so happy, he made a big deal about it but Ark was too modest. He's like that. He's the hardest worker that I know. He'd probably be a Crusader by now, but ever since Dad left, Ark didn't train much anymore. Instead he spends his time taking care of Ascion and me. Taking care of the house, making meals, stuff like that. Ascion doesn't have a job yet, he's just a kid, but I hope he'll get one when he's old enough. I want to set a good example, starting today.
I think I want to be an archer. Back when Ark got back with that big axe, I wanted to be a warrior too, but when I heard about the training he went through, I got kind of put off. I mean, all that physical training and punishment just to get tougher? And the heavy armor? I mean, I want to be strong, but it kind of scares me. Ark says it's not too bad, but he's stronger than me.
I thought about being a magician, but I really don't want to bury my head in books all the time, and I also don't want to be a thief and live off garbage and steal pocket change for a living. So that leaves being an archer, I guess. They're pretty cool, I mean, with the bows and arrows, and all the running, and their clothes never look shabby either. It's also convenient - I grew up in Henesys, and we've been living here for years, so I guess I'm used to it? I know it's probably going to be a lot of work, but everything's a lot of work. That's one of the things that Dad taught me.
I want to be the best archer in the world, kind of. I think I can do it. Like Dad said, it'll be a lot of work, but I don't care. I want to be a great archer, and get everybody to cheer for me and respect me and I'll make Dad proud. Maybe I could even be like Ark and take the second job advancement! Or maybe even the third! The Rangers and the Snipers, I've heard stories about them. But even Ark hasn't gotten the third job advancement yet. I'll work hard, then, harder than anyone else. I know I can do it.
Oops, it's getting late. I should be off. Time's a-wasting.
Signed,
Zeraion Phoenix
I picked up my handy shortsword, slightly tarnished from weeks of killing snails, and inserted it into the sheath at my belt.
Ark glanced up from a book he was reading. "Leaving, Zer?"
"Yeah," I nodded. "I'm going to go become an archer!"
Ark laughed. "If you're sure! Take care and don't get yourself... fired!" He gave me a wink and an exaggerated wiggle of the eyebrows.
I groaned. "Ark, stop... I said no lame jokes!"
He just laughed. "Sorry, just kidding, just kidding. Go get 'em! You can do it!"
Ark was the best brother I could ask for. Well, tied with Ascion. They're both the best brothers. I couldn't imagine life without them. Hopefully training as an archer wouldn't force me to leave them... would it?
I shivered a little. Best not to think too much about it.
I walked past the townspeople, a few of them giving me nods as I passed. Today, especially, I noticed a few archers and hunters skittering about. Was it just me, or was there a lot of them around today? Or maybe it was just me being nervous.
I quickened my pace and dashed past the gates of Mushroom Park, the fresh scent of flowers in the air. Quickly I ran and ran, towards the big tree hut where the Chieftain of our town, Athena Pierce (who was also the leader of all the bowmen) lived.
Athena Piece was really something. She wasn't just a bowmaster, like, as in one of those who's mastered the fourth job (my mind was boggled just thinking about it). She was also the master and the teacher of all the archers in the world. Anyone who wanted to be an archer? They had to talk to her. I knew she was an elf, and I'd heard crazy rumours about her. Like, people said she killed a dozen Crimson Balrogs with one arrow. That's crazy! One Balrog could take out a town.
Be cool, I told myself as I approached the door. Just don't make her angry, there's nothing to be afraid of. People say she's nice... I think?
I walked through the door.
The warm scent of fresh flowers hit me, even more so than in the park. The Chieftain's house was beautiful, much more than I expected, it was built into the tree, flowers growing right off the wall. I wished I could live in a tree.
Perhaps I was distracted for too long by the surroundings, because a female voice said, "A-hem!" which instantly brought me out of my thoughts and back into the present. Immediately I saw that Athena Pierce herself, the Chieftain of Henesys herself, was talking to me. She wasn't looking at me, she was just looking at some papers on her desk, but I was pretty sure she had been talking to me.
"Uhm... Hi...!" I said out loud. My voice cracked a little, I wasn't really ready for this.
The Chieftain finished writing something and then looked at me. "Well met. Who are you?"
"I-" I nearly choked as I stumbled on my words, more nervous than I'd ever been in my life. Here I was standing before an elf who had killed twelve of Scania's most powerful monsters in a single arrow! I was scared, but also awed. Over multiple attempts, I managed to stutter, "I- I'm Zeraion P-Phoenix. I w- want to be an archer."
"I see." Athena began writing something again, and for a few seconds I wondered if she was annoyed. A dollop of fear leaped into my tummy, but then she put down the pen again. "Very well. Come over here for a bit."
I walked over, nearly tripping over my feet.
"Please give me your hand, young Phoenix."
I immediately stretched out my hand. The Chieftain gently took my palm and began tracing a rune into my skin, the soft glow shining visibly.
She still wasn't looking at me, instead she just spoke in her measured voice. "It's not going to be easy. The skills of a bowman are much more difficult to master than those of the other classes. You'll have to work extremely hard if you want to reach your ultimate goal."
I swallowed. Dad had been right. "I- I know." I stammered. I found a little courage and then said, "But I want to be one of the best bowmen in Scania. I might even be a ranger someday, if I work hard. I know everything needs hard work, but I promise I can do it! I'll work harder than Dad, I'll work harder than Ark, I know I can do it, I promise you, I will work as hard as I can, I'll work harder than anyone else, and I'll become the best archer in the world!"
I wasn't really thinking, I just said whatever came to mind. I guess it was a mix between 'fear that the Chieftain might have been annoyed at me because of my stammering and hesitancy', and 'worry that she might deny me from becoming an archer'. So I just said the most honest thing that I could.
For some reason, this made her look up, directly into my eyes. Her piercing gaze seemed to burrow deep into my soul, and I definitely shivered a little bit, but I knew that I had not been lying and I tried to summon all the truth in my words and put it into my mind, holding it as tightly as I could and praying that she would believe me and trust me and make me an archer.
"Please," I said, voice trembling, "I really want your blessing."
A smile barely graced her lips. "Very well, Zeraion Phoenix. You have promised me to work harder than anyone else and to become the best archer in the world. I will remember you, and I expect you to fulfil your promise."
Then she spoke an incantation, and there was a flash of bright golden light which blinded me for a bit, but then I blinked and saw the Chieftain smiling at me. I looked down at my palm and saw a strange, ornate glowing mark on my palm.
"Congratulations, Phoenix," said Athena Pierce. From the side of her desk, she retrieved a small book from a shelf and handed it to me, along with a simple blue bow and a couple of quivers of arrows. "You have now chosen the path of the archer. Train hard, and you shall be rewarded with the fastest of speed, the sharpest of senses, and the greatest of powers."
I was blushing furiously and lost for words, mumbling a quick thank you as I grabbed the book and equipment and scurried out of the door.
I reached the hunting ground west of the village. Around me, I saw hordes of snails of many different colours. I'd been here a few times, but never alone. The monsters weren't very scary, nothing like the Crimson Balrogs, but Dad and Ark said I had to be careful anyway. But now I was an archer, I had to stop being scared. I had to.
Suddenly working hard didn't seem very difficult compared to taking the first step out of the safety of my old life. But I made myself do it.
Fumbling with my new equipment, I picked up an arrow and set it to my bowstring. How did this work? Hold the arrow, pull the string back, and release...
My first arrow flopped lazily out of the bow and landed a foot away from me on the ground. Angrily, I muttered something and picked it up, and then tried again. And again. And again.
I'm not sure how much time passed. Maybe an hour, maybe two. Eventually I got good enough at loading the arrow that I could shoot it a few yards, but definitely a far cry from what archers were supposed to do. Weren't they supposed to be able to shoot arrows over a thousand feet? I was sweating through my grey cotton shirt, my arms were trembling from the strain.
But no. I had promised to work harder than anyone else, and so I would. I would work until I became the best archer in the world.
Then I heard a voice from above me. "Hey. Hey, kid. Over here."
I looked up. Sitting on a ledge, a dark-haired hunter was looking strangely at me. How long had he been there, watching me train? When did he get there? I wasn't sure, I hadn't been looking. I'd been busy training.
"You want some tips?" The dark-haired hunter had a tinge of amusement in his voice, mixed with some other emotion, though I couldn't quite tell what. "You're holding the bow backwards. You need the string towards you."
"Oh, er, thanks," I muttered, red-faced.
"Go on, give it a try." The hunter seemed to be watching me closely, so I flipped around the bow. Instantly I felt like an idiot as I spotted the ridge carved into the wood. Nocking an arrow into the string, the shaft nestled straight into the ridge like it was meant to be there. Which it probably was.
I let go of the bowstring and the arrow launched itself a few dozen feet away, but at a very high angle, soaring in a large arc and then coming back to earth to bury itself in some haystack. "Whoa!" I said, and immediately drew another arrow to try it again. This time I tried to change up the way I aimed. I tried pointing the arrow a little lower, and let loose - the arrow flew much straighter now.
Over the next hour or so, I kept experimenting with different styles of shooting, and eventually figured out a few things to help me aim. For one, lining up the arrow with my eye let me really easily choose where the arrow was going to go. I also figured out that pulling the bow across my body instead of in front of me really let me put much more power into the shots.
"You're a grinder, aren't you?" The dark-haired hunter said. I jumped. I had completely forgotten he was there. Had he been watching me this entire time?
"A grinder? What's that?"
"Never mind. Come, let me help you with something." The hunter dropped down from the ledge, landing easily on his feet, then took my bow, dismantled it, then reassembled and restrung it. All this he did slowly and deliberately, step by step. All the while he did this, he repeatedly and deliberately consulted a little book in his possession - with a start, I realized it was the same book that the Chieftain had passed to me. Finally, he nocked an arrow into my bow, gave it a test-fire, nodded, and then handed it back to me.
"Done," he said, looking at me with a strange expression on his face. I thought he looked like he was calculating something in his head, but that made no sense. "That should hold."
"Thanks for the help! You're amazing. I want to be like you someday." I said, and he smiled in return, a strange smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"No problem, kid. See if you can work it out." Then he left, no doubt to train on something that I probably couldn't even hit.
I guess that was the moment I decided I wanted to become a ranger instead of a crossbowman. I wanted to be like this guy. Crap, I forgot to ask him for his name.
The sun was beginning to set, but I persevered, and continued to train at the hunting grounds. The bow did feel so much better to use after the ranger had restrung it. Maybe I'd give it a try tomorrow. I should also check out the Chieftain's little book, perhaps it would have instructions.
So many things to do, and so little time to do it. I was tired but excited. Thanks to the ranger, I now knew what I had left to learn. And you can bet I worked as hard as I could - harder than anyone else - to learn it better than anyone else.
ONE YEAR LATER
I drew two arrows from the pouch on my back and twirled them in my hand for a split second before raising them to by bow and firing.
"Double Shot!" I roared.
The arrows struck the ribbon pig between the eyes. It had been charging at me - instead it let out a squeal as it slumped to the ground, then faded away as monsters do, leaving behind a ribbon, some leather, and a bunch of coins. Smiling, I picked the loot up and slipped it into the pack on my back. It'd probably sell for a decent price. Maybe I could even treat myself to a cake today.
Happy birthday to me, I thought. I was twelve years old now, exactly a year to the day when I'd first become an archer. Slowly, but surely, I'd gone from holding my War Bow backwards to being able to fire arrows swiftly without the string snapping in my face... at least not to often. And even if it did, I knew how to restring it, thanks to the dark-haired hunter that had helped me all those months ago. The Hunter, I called him in my head. I thought about the Hunter nearly every day, wondering if I'd ever meet him again.
I hadn't, though. I was a little sad. But it didn't stop me from training. It didn't even slow me down. I just wondered where the Hunter was now, and if he'd be proud of me today, and if he'd have anything new to teach me. But a part of me knew that I probably wouldn't ever meet him again.
Hopping onto a rope nearby, I whizzed down a red potion, and the small cuts and scrapes I'd sustained began to seal up. It couldn't heal severe wounds, but after a couple of months of training I'd gotten good enough at dodging the pigs that they couldn't hurt me very badly anymore. Once I was ready, I jumped down again, ready to continue training. Nocking an arrow, I felt the magic suffuse me as I brought the arrow to my newly bought orange Hunter's Bow.
"Arrow Blow!"
The arrow burst through the air and landed with a bang. One more ribbon pig down, and coins scattered across the ground. I smiled with satisfaction - that move never got old. I could do this all d-
"Thunderbolt!"
Blue-white bolts of lightning shot down from the sky, electrocuting half a dozen pigs before I could even draw an arrow. Furiously, I spun around to see a wizard smirking at me.
"Sup," said the wizard. "Nice to meet you. You training?"
"Yes," I said through slightly gritted teeth. "Are you passing through, or what?"
The wizard gave me another infuriating grin. "No, I'm training too. Thunderbolt!" Another volley of electricity crackled forth, and it cleared the entire field of pigs. Now I had nothing left to train on.
I couldn't quite keep the irritation out of my voice. "Wow. Amazing. Could you go somewhere else, by the way? I was here first."
"Hahaha!" The wizard laughed. "Why so tense? It's just a prank. Why don't we have a little competition? See who can kill pigs faster. What do you say? Eh? Eh?"
Out of fury I fired a few more arrows, but they all struck thin air as Thunderbolt hit its marks over, and over, and over again. Damn thunder magic - how does it never miss?
"Hey, you!" Suddenly a loud voice rang out from above me, and both the wizard and I twisted our heads to look.
It was him. I recognized him immediately.
The Hunter.
Perched on a ledge once more like a total badass, and decked out in much fancier gear this time, the Hunter was here in Henesys once more. He looked about Level 50, if I had to guess from the plush cap, his blue gown, and his Olympus bow. The Olympus in particular looked different from what I'd seen in the catalogs and the papers. This one looked... far more magical?
He wasn't looking at me at all, though. The Hunter only had eyes for the wizard, and those gleaming red eyes were narrowed and glaring straight at its target.
"You again?" said the wizard angrily. "Stop following me around, man! Who are you? What's your problem?"
"You don't know me?" said the dark-haired hunter. "Well, Jonny Nyx, I know you."
The magician didn't sound reassured. "Go strum your twanger somewhere else. What the fuck do you want?"
"Stop harassing the kid," said the hunter calmly, "or you'll seriously regret it."
"Is that so? Then make me. Thunderbolt!" The wizard snapped, blasting a few more pigs.
A slow smile began to spread over the hunter's face, and his eyes gleamed in a very unsettling way.
"With pleasure," said the hunter. "Arrow Bomb!"
And the ground exploded.
The wizard was thrown off his feet from the blast, and he slammed into a tree. As he impacted against the wood, some kind of arcane shield shimmered into visibility for a brief moment. "The fuck?" he cried. "The fuck are you doing?"
The hunter didn't reply, except to say: "Arrow Bomb!" Now the ground next to the wizard exploded, throwing the wizard fifteen feet sideways into a clump of pigs. Once again the wizard's semi-visible magical shield absorbed some of the damage, but hitting the pigs seemed to be the limit, and the magical guard shattered.
The wizard sounded livid. "You want to fight? Huh? What a trash archer you are, you can't even hit me from this distance! Cold Beam!" The wizard brandished his wand at the hunter, and for a moment I was afraid that the Hunter might be hurt, but before the wizard had even finished his incantation, the dark-haired hunter had fired another arrow and knocked the wizard's wand out of his hand.
"I don't miss," the hunter said levelly as he watched the wizard scrabble frantically at the grass for his wand. "Now scram, unless you want another demonstration."
The wizard needed no further encouragement and fled, as I stared with amazement at this stranger who had come to my rescue.
"Holy..." I drew a deep breath. "That was amazing!"
The hunter turned to look at me for the first time. At first he frowned as if in puzzlement, which made me puzzled as well.
"You're the grinder." he said.
"You're the hunter! You helped me a year ago when I just got my bow!" The excitement was pouring into my voice now that the adrenaline was beginning to fade.
"Managed to learn how to shoot? Show me." said the hunter, again with the slight amusement in his voice.
I raised my bow. Don't mess this up, I told myself firmly as I loaded in two arrows. "Double Shot!" I yelled, and two arrowshafts streaked directly at a ribbon pig, each arrow embedding itself in one of the pigs' eyes. The monster fell and shimmered into non-existence as I clenched my fist triumphantly and looked to the hunter for approval.
The hunter nodded. "How old are you?"
"I'm elev- wait, twelve, actually, now. It's my birthday."
"Why are you an archer? Do you have a goal?"
For some reason that was a difficult question for me to answer, it caught me off guard, and I hadn't been expecting to talk about that with anyone except the Chieftain. "Ah... I became an archer because... I want to become the best archer in the world."
The hunter nodded, as if confirming something, then he turned away, facing the direction that the wizard had fled to. I couldn't see his eyes or face, but I could hear him as he spoke. "You, my little friend, have a gift. Most people have lots of ambition but no drive. You have lots of drive, but no significant ambition."
I wasn't sure what that meant. "Is... is that a good thing?"
The hunter turned back around, and his eyes were gleaming once more, staring at me in a slightly uncomfortable way. For a moment I felt like I was a piece of meat hanging in a butcher's shop.
"Oh yes, it is a wonderful thing," the hunter said. His tone didn't quite match up with his words, it didn't sound joyous, rather it sounded controlled, maybe even slightly bitter. "It is the greatest talent in this world. You can achieve anything you put your mind to. All you need is someone to... guide you. Someone to give you a goal, something obvious and easy to aim for. Yes, you need a guide. Someone older, more experienced, perhaps." An ironic smile was on his face.
My heart soared as the hunter praised me, and I immediately wanted to do him proud. My first thought was to ask Athena Pierce to guide me, but a part of me was still afraid of her because of the rumour about the Balrogs. My second thought was...
"Would you guide me?" I looked at the hunter with a hopeful expression on my face. "Please?" I added.
The hunter was examining his fingernails, picking dirt off them, or something. "Hmm, well, I'm sort of a busy person, are you sure?"
"Yes, I am sure!" I said with conviction. "I won't let you down, I promise, I work super hard and everything! I can do it, so please guide me!"
"Alright, if you insist," the hunter said. "What's your name, my little friend?"
"I'm Zeraion Phoenix."
He reached out a hand and ruffled my hair, almost exactly like Ark used to do. This felt different though, or maybe Ark was just a much better head-ruffler.
"My name is Gault Isentryx," said the hunter, "so remember that name. I accept you as my student-in-training. Kneel."
Gault's hand was still on my head, so when I hesitated, he forced me down to the ground and so I knelt. Still, it felt right, like some kind of official ceremony of studentship, and instead of feeling indignant at being handled, I felt a warm surge of pride swell up within me.
"Listen." Gault whispered, leaning down to speak at my ear as I knelt. "There are bigger things happening that are more important than becoming the best archer in the world. There is an imbalance of power. An imbalance... of power..." he repeated that phrase once more, slowly, as if speaking to a child, as if to drum it into my memory. "The warriors, magicians, and thieves get all the strength, and they lord it over us. Just like the wizard you saw from earlier. Do you understand?"
"I think so..." I mumbled. "An, uh, imbalance of power..."
"Good," said Gault. "I won't accept that imbalance of power. You must not accept that imbalance of power. Never. We are archers. One day, we archers will rise up against the warriors, magicians, and thieves. One day, we will show them all that we won't take it anymore. There'll be a revolt. A revolt of the archers." His eyes blazed again, and I could almost feel the heat from them against my skin.
Then Gault stood up. "Look," he commanded. I complied, and saw that he was holding out his blue Olympus bow, the same one that he'd used to attack the wizard, the same one that was glowing with magic from scrolls.
"When you reach level 50..." He said in a low, dark voice, as his eyes stared directly into mine. "Find me. Find your destiny, Zeraion Phoenix. And," Gault gestured at the magical Olympus with a benevolent smile, "When you are worthy, I will give you the honour of using this bow. My bow. Will you follow my guidance? Repeat it to me!"
"I will... I mean when I'm level 50, I will look for you..." I said slowly, trying to make sure I could remember his words as closely as I could. "I will look for you and my destiny."
"What's my name?" said the hunter.
"Gault Isentryx," I said.
"I look forward to meeting you again, little Zeraion Phoenix." And with a single leap, Gault disappeared into the trees, moving in the same direction that the wizard had gone in.
The only fragments of his presence were the burnt shafts of his arrows nearby, stuck into the ground.
I stared at them. His power... his passion... his words, they all resonated inside me.
When you reach level 50, find me. Find your destiny, Zeraion Phoenix.
I didn't return to Henesys until I was level 30.
I lived near Lith Harbor for a while, training on the pigs. I thought about moving to Ellinia, on Ark's advice - he'd told me to go there and train on the green and horned mushrooms that populated the tree dungeons. I'd always wanted to live in a tree ever since I'd seen Athena's house, but Gault's words kept ringing in my head.
There is an imbalance of power.
Ellinia was a village full of magicians, and Gault had shown me how archers were treated by magicians. I didn't want to spend too much time near the magicians if I could avoid it. Besides, Ark was a warrior. He would never understand the imbalance of power. So I said to Ark no thank you, I'll stay in Lith Harbor. It wasn't too bad. I had to get up early in the morning to run all the way from Lith to Henesys to Ellinia, and I also had to run all the way back in the evening, but it was okay. It was good training, and my stamina improved a lot for it.
Finally, two years after I'd set off on my journey to become an archer, I was level 30. I could become a hunter at last. The fabled second class. In more than one day, I'd become of age.
I wondered how the job advancement test would be like. I didn't speak to Ark much anymore, but I remembered him talking about the fighter's job test, which in his words was "an ass." Hopefully, my test would be easier, but I doubted so.
Before I left for the job advancement test, I thought about writing a letter to Ark. We had argued several times over the past year, which was partially why I had moved out in the first place. But some part of me thought that it was only proper to send a letter to Ark to inform him of my progress. So I picked up a pen and wrote a brief message.
Dear Ark Wolfen,
I'm level 30. I'm going to take my hunter test now.
Regards,
Zeraion Phoenix
I sent it via the mail service, and Ark's reply came back swiftly. His letter was much longer.
Hey, Zer.
Great to hear that you're doing well. Congratulations on your thirteenth birthday, by the way! You're officially a teenager now. I hope that your job advancement test goes well. If your test is anything like mine, make sure to bring enough healing potions, those things hit like a truck. Oh, and bring some attack potions as well. If you need some, the wild boars in Perion drop them like rain. I believe in you and I know you can pass with flying colours.
I miss you a lot. I know we've had our differences, but no matter what, you will always be my brother, and I will always be yours. If you have some time after your job advancement, come down to the house, and I'll be happy to cook you dinner like in the old days. Also, Ascion is ten now. He's training hard, like you. He must be reading ten books a day about magic, fungi, and all sorts of other things that I can't understand. He wants to be a cleric when he grows up. He misses you a lot, too.
I've also sent you a birthday present a few days ago. It'll probably arrive soon. I hope you like it.
Love,
Ark & Ascion
Just as I finished reading the letter, there was a knock on the door. When I checked it, a bored-looking courier was waiting for me, holding a long package.
"Zeraion Phoenix?" he asked. "Sign here."
I complied, and received the package. It felt slightly weighty, but not much heavier than my Battle Bow. I shook it and was almost certain of what it was, my heart thumping, but I was too afraid to open it, my hopes too high. Finally, I ripped open the paper and beheld my gift in all its glory.
It was a Ryden. Gold-plated, with emeralds set in the guide notches, its handle finely covered with leather. I felt its sturdy metal frame and compared it to my Battle Bow. Certainly, it was superior. There was even a case accompanying it, and I opened it to find several bow-strings, made out of something I couldn't place. I strung the bow and twanged it. The resonating note rung through the room and I felt my heart skip a beat. It was top-quality, probably scrolled. But where could Ark find the money to-
The note attached to the package had drifted to the floor and I slit it open. It was a small note from my brother.
Hey, Zer.
I found this one day while taking a stroll through Henesys. A wandering thief had it, and I made an offer. It wasn't a pleasant process, the haggling, but I did eventually trade off my Sabretooth for it. Don't worry, I can make do with my Blue Counter.
It's been scrolled with the best of scrolls, and it's got a ton of attack points to its name. There's even a few drake-gut bowstrings to go with it. Don't worry about the price. Ascion says hi.
From your big brother,
Ark
I felt my heart twinge lightly as I read the note. I wiped my eyes and found that I was crying. I wasn't sure why. Ark was just a warrior, not an archer. I shouldn't care about what he thinks, should I?
No matter what, you will always be my brother, and I will always be yours.
Okay, fine, even if he was a warrior, I did still care about him a bit. I decided to write him a letter in reply, later, maybe, after I had finished with my job advancement. Meanwhile, I put Ark's letter and the note together into my bookshelf, slid the shining Ryden into my quiver, and left the house.
I pawned my old bow at the shop, buying a few potions with the proceeds. Then I went to the taxi station and paid some money for a ride to Henesys. Yeah, I know, I could have walked, I did it almost every day. But this was a special occasion. I wanted it to feel special. When I arrived, I bid the driver good-bye and dashed through Mushroom Park as fast as I could, barely stopping to smell the flowers like before, praying that I didn't run into either of my brothers. I didn't stop until I reached Athena Pierce's familiar tree-house. Athena herself was once again sitting at the desk, writing out something on a piece of paper.
This time, I coughed and she looked up.
"Well met, Zeraion Phoenix." she murmured, a smile on her face.
"You remember my name?" I said, surprised.
"Of course, young Phoenix. I would most certainly remember the boy who promised to become the best archer in the world." Athena pushed the papers on her desk to one side and gave me her full attention. "How is your progress on your promise? What wind blows you here today?"
I realised I wasn't afraid of Athena anymore. Gault had been right, I had been weak. Now that I was guided by Gault, I could stand up to anything and anyone, even Athena Pierce. I straightened my back and said proudly, "I just passed my thirtieth level, Athena. I seek further guidance in the path of the bowman."
Athena laughed, her elven voice tinkling in my ears. "Since when have you showed me this much confidence, young Phoenix? Last time I remember, you were too timid to even say my name. Or say anything at all, really. I am glad to see you grow, my student."
My student? Athena Pierce remembers me and even considers me her student? I felt my heart swell with pride again, happy to be recognized. "Well, there's a first time for everything."
"You're not the quivering boy I saw two years ere." she murmured, making me blush. "I take it you've acquainted yourself with the bow and wish to become a hunter?"
"Of course." I responded. "I find bending a bowstring more satisfying than pulling a hair-trigger on a crossbow." I didn't mention the real reason, which was that I wanted to be a hunter like Gault.
"So be it." She nodded, then took up a quill and scratched something on a piece of paper. "I have a friend who would be more than happy to guide you through the next part of your journey. She is located on the Henesys route to the dungeon. It won't be an easy test, but..." She paused. "I have faith in you."
I cocked my head. "You're just saying that, right?"
"No, young Phoenix, I'm not jus saying that." she said gently, laying her hand on my arm. "You show more talent and determination that almost anyone I've ever met. And I really mean that." Her lips curled up in that same faint smile I'd seen two years ago. "You will be a great ranger someday."
Ranger, I thought, curling my mind around the sacred word. Once upon a time I'd seen the third job as something far away, so distant as to be almost unattainable. But Gault had laid me a clear pathway to my destiny. First, get to level 50. After that, I was certain that he would guide me and show me the way forward.
If anyone could help me become a ranger, it would be Gault.
But for today, I'd have to become a hunter first.
I ran out of Henesys faster than a bullet.
The dungeon path seemed a lot less dangerous than I remembered. My Dad had always told me to avoid this area, that it was dangerous, but really it didn't seem that way anymore, except for the Iron Hogs which were easy to just dodge around. Maybe I was more grown-up now, and that's why I wasn't afraid anymore. Or maybe Dad had been lying, trying to prevent me from reaching my full potential.
The most challenging obstacles I faced were not the monsters, but rather the foliage. I got my arms so scratched by the thistles and thorns that I almost thought that fighting through all this was half the test. I was forced to drink some of the healing potions I had meant to use for the test, just to heal from the cuts and scrapes from the sharp plants. Hopefully there would still be enough for the actual test.
After some rope-climbing through a briar bush, I cursed and plucked a thorn out of my sore, throbbing hand before laying eyes on a short, pink-haired woman wearing glasses and holding a blue, ornate bow. I supposed her to be Athena's friend who would supervise me through the rest of this test.
"Ah, you must be Phoenix." She nodded at me. "Athena sent word of your arrival. I take it you are ready for the examination?"
"Yes, I'm ready." I said. "What do I have to do?"
"First we travel to the test area," she replied, pushing aside a bush. I could see something like a rabbit hole behind it, and my stomach sank.
"That looks dangerous." I shuddered. In response, the instructor simply tilted her head. "You expect to be a hunter, and you're afraid of a little hole? It's up to you." Without waiting for me, she simply hopped in, sliding down into the earth. I had no choice but to follow.
Down and down I slid, the mud streaking up my clothing. There were a few rocks in the slide that cut into my flesh but it was nothing that a potion couldn't fix, and also it was mild compared to the thorny plants from before. I wondered if this experience of pushing through painful things and tolerating it without complaint was symbolic of something, whether it was meant to condition us archers into just accepting our fate.
My thought process was interrupted by the end of the slide, and I emerged within a small, isolated cave. Throughout this enclosed space, Evil Eyes and Zombie Mushrooms skittered all about the stone halls. I shuddered. It was really musky, and damp, and dark, and though I'd seen a couple of Zombie Mushrooms in my time, I'd never trained on Evil Eyes before.
The pink-haired instructor stood on the edge of a platform, away from me. "See those monters?" She pointed, and I obligingly followed her gaze. "These monsters have been controlled by an evil that resides at the center of Victoria Island. Their hearts have melted away and have been replaced by shards of darkness, called Dark Marbles. You are to collect thirty of them, and then Athena will recognize you as a hunter. I'll be waiting up here. Let me know when you have them all."
"Okay, I'm on it." I said, and gingerly hopped down to begin the task.
An Evil Eye turned its slimy body to face me, its cheeks stretched wide in an exceedingly creepy smile, and it began clambering over rocks in my direction. I pulled out my new Ryden as I backed away, suddenly concerned that I hadn't tested the bow before entering the cave, but it was way too late for worries now. Pulling on the apparently drake-gut bowstrings, I quickly took aim and fired.
"Double Shot!"
The power of my attack was so strong that I was taken off guard. The arrow flew out with amazing force and struck down the Evil Eye instantly. Surprised, I didn't know how I could have done something like that. It must be the 67 attack Ryden from Ark. I shook my head, amazed.
I grabbed the Dark Marble that the creature had left behind in its wake, and continued on my mission to collect as many as I could.
I wasn't sure how much time had passed, but soon my arm was aching. The new bow was fantastic, but it used a different set of muscles than I was accustomed to, and it got very tiring very fast. I pushed on, of course. There was no way I would ever give up so easily. I ground my teeth and pushed on, even though the fingers on my right hand started to bleed. I took down monster after monster after monster, their bodies evaporating into nothing, occasionally leaving behind the Dark Marbles. Soon I fell into a rhythm.
I eventually lost count of how many marbles I'd collected, but judging from the weight on my back, it had to be a lot. I staggered back to the pink-haired instructor, clutching the rope with difficulty (as the marbles weighed me down). Finally, with a heave, I pulled myself up, and threw the pack at her feet.
"Done?" she asked.
"I think so."
She began to sort through the pack with amazing speed, drawing out the marbles and counting them faster than I could see. Finally, she drew out the last one and murmured, "One hundred and fifty-four, exactly. Hmm." Her eyebrows were furrowed, and the turned to look at me. "Do you remember how many you were supposed to collect?"
"Uh, not really. A hundred?"
She stood up and looked at me. "No, thirty."
"A hundred and fifty-four is more than thirty. Is it a problem? Do I fail the test?" I asked, suddenly nervous.
The pink-haired instructor sighed. "No, it's not a problem for the test. It's a problem for you, though. When someone tells you to do something, don't just mindlessly do it, okay?"
I scratched my head, not fully understanding why she was upset. "I just thought that it was good training, and besides, it wasn't mindless. If I wasn't paying attention, I would have gotten hit a lot more!"
"No, it's not about that." She sounded a little frustrated. "See, this is a small thing right now, but if you don't recognize the problem, it's going to become a bigger issue down the road. The problem is that I told you to do something, and you just... did too much. You did over five times the work you needed to do, and you didn't even know it. It's not like you get a higher score for getting more Dark Marbles. You need to pay more attention to what you're doing, and what people tell you to do, that's what I'm saying."
"But it's good to take pride in my work. Isn't it good to exceed expectations?"
The instructor rubbed her brows. "You know what? Never mind. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it. Yes, you've passed the test with flying colours. Let's go back to Henesys." She handed me a medal, then beckoned me to the exit of the cave, and I took a deep breath of relief as I inhaled the fresh Henesys air.
As I began my trek back through the dungeon path, the pink-haired instructor called out to me one last time. "Hey, Phoenix."
"Yes?"
"May Athena guide you well. Take care." She had a very serious look on her face.
What a strange way to say farewell, I thought. "You too." I replied, and left.
I jogged easily over towards Athena's house in Henesys, appreciating the fantastic stamina that I'd built up from my daily training route walking from Lith to Henesys to Ellinia. My mind was preoccupied with the instructor's words.
The more I thought about it, the more indignant I felt. I didn't think I had done anything wrong. So what if I had collected more than the thirty required marbles? It wasn't like they'd specified a time limit. I had been testing out my new bow, that was all. Just because she was an instructor didn't mean that she was right.
I was so preoccupied that I forgot that there was someone I was trying to avoid in Henesys.
"Zer? Is that you? How was the test?"
Snapping back to reality, I saw Ark in front of me. He was carrying a large basket of groceries, probably meaning to bring it back to the house. It was a comically large basket actually, it looked like a month's worth of food.
"Um, hi, Ark," I said awkwardly. I wasn't really sure how to act. My mind automatically replayed the last argument that we'd had in our house in Henesys, the two of us shouting at one another while Ascion cried in a corner, followed by me packing all my belongings in a huff and storming out of the house.
"You look really muddy." Ark looked me up and down, seeing my clothes which were torn and stained brown from monster blood and the tunnel slide down to the caves. "Want to get a quick shower?"
"No, it's okay, I have to get to Athena's place and finish the test."
"No problem, Zer, but do stop by the house after, alright? I'll be cooking tonight. It'll be fun!" Ark gave me a bright smile, but it only served to make me more awkward.
"Uh, I'll see if I have time." I had no intention of going.
"Promise to come by?" Ark wiggled an eyebrow at me, exactly like he used to do, which sent a pang of shame through my chest. He did give me the bow, after all, I sort of owed it to him, even if he was a warrior.
"Yeah. I promise." I said, though I was pretty sure he could hear the reluctance in my voice.
"Great! I'll start preparing. Good luck for the test! I wanna hear all about it later!" Ark reached out a hand, as if to ruffle my hair, but he stopped the motion short and smoothly turned it into a wave before turning to go. I pretended not to notice and continued heading to Athena's house.
"You succeeded," Athena said, as I pushed open the door and held up the Proof of Hero that the pink-haired instructor had given me.
"I did," I said. "Though your friend wasn't too happy for some reason."
"Why not?"
"I got too many marbles, apparently."
"Hmm," she said, frowning. "I shall have a word with her later. But let us not detract from your accomplishment." She walked over to me and lifted the medal from my fingers. Then, pulling open a drawer, she slid in the medal and pulled out another book, much like the one she'd given me two years ago, but thicker.
"Congratulations, Phoenix. This signifies your advancement to a Hunter." She hesitated slightly, glancing into my eyes for a split second. "I think I should go over the skills with you, since they may be a bit difficult to understand on your own."
"Okay," I said, glad that Athena saw it worth her time to be instructing me personally. I intended to make it worth her while.
"Let's see." She flipped through the pages with her long fingers until she found the one she was looking for. "Ah. Well, first, there's Bow Mastery. It's a series of little techniques that you can use to help in battle. It's more really about looking sharper and pulling harder, but it helps."
"Yeah."
Athena skipped over to the next skill without much pause. "Then we have Bow Booster. It basically lets you shoot faster. You know how Thieves get Haste? Well, this is almost the same thing, except for your arms."
I was a little confused at how she was skimming over each skill. Wasn't she supposed to explain them in detail? The information so far sounded like something straight out of the book. Athena wasn't looking at my bewildered expression, though, so she continued with another swift page flip to the next skill.
"Then we have Soul Arrow. It lets you turn your mana into arrows. Very helpful in tight situations, so you don't have to carry a quiver of arrows everywhere you go."
"Okay..."
"And there's also a technique we call Power Knock-back. It lets you put mana in your bow to push monsters away from you. Not too reliable, though."
"Not reliable? Why?"
She seemed not to hear me, flipping to another page roughly three-quarters of the way through the book. "And lastly, we have my personal favorite, Arrow Bomb. I think you'll like this skill."
No doubt, as I vividly remembered a certain raven-haired hunter using it a year ago.
Athena Pierce was holding the book in a very strange way for some reason, her forearm blocking a large portion of the page. Still, she continued to tell me about Arrow Bomb, now looking directly at me as she spoke. "You focus your mana to make the arrow explode, which lets you take out a large group of enemies at a time. Recommended if you're being mobbed by a crowd."
"That does sound useful, yes."
Athena was still looking expectantly at me, as if waiting for me to ask a question, so I did. "Is there anything special about the bomb?"
Judging from her expression, that wasn't quite the question she wanted me to ask, but she answered it anyway. "Yes. If you learn to focus your mana correctly, you can cause a shockwave which can sometimes stun the targets for a short while." She shifted her arm slightly. It looked really uncomfortable, the way her arm was wrapped around the page, covering a large portion of the book's text.
"What's that?" I asked, pointing at the obscured area of the book.
"Oh, this?" Athena said, sounding surprised, though she didn't flip the page or anything. "It's nothing."
"No, really," I said, a bit louder, as I squinted at the area that her arm was blocking. It looked like a new section header. Perhaps a hidden skill? I felt a leap of excitement in my throat. "Show me. I want to know what that is."
She gazed at me, a strange sad stare, before she turned her attention back to the book. Slowly, she moved her arm off the book.
"Final Attack." I read the words on the page, slowly.
"Yes." She nodded.
"Isn't that for warriors?"
"Yes, it was." Her eyes stared sadly at me. "We discovered that whenever mana was used in an attack, a curious effect took place. People felt a rush from performing an attack that used mana. At first, it was dismissed as a side effect, but the leader of the warriors did some research on it. He discovered that the effect, known as "mana burn", was the result of leftover mana gathered from the initial attack. It quickly dissipated, but it left a curious sensation."
She continued. "The warriors were interested by this, and experimented all they could with mana burn. It was a perilous process and several died..." She took a deep, dramatic breath. "But in the end, the warriors discovered that this mana burn could be controlled, and harnessed after using the mana. In fact, the energy from this effect could be up to ten times more than the energy of the previous attack."
"Ah," I nodded, partially understanding. Some kind of secret technique that was really strong, something like that, basically. I was just glad that Athena seemed to be finally telling me something that I couldn't simply read from the book.
"I hope you see my point, young Phoenix. You see, if too much mana burn is accumulated, it can destroy the body. The warriors knew this, but at the same time they were determined to control it. And finally, they did. They perfected the technique and published it in all the warrior manuals. It was introduced to the world as Final Attack. Suddenly, warriors dominated the world of Scania. None of our attacks could fare against them; they had the secret of mana burn. And they would keep it from us at any cost."
"Damn them!" I slammed my fist into the table. "Damn the warriors, and the magicians, and the thieves. Always keeping things from us. Always trying to bring us down."
Athena looked at me curiously. "Who told you that?"
Glad to have the opportunity to talk about my idol, I said, "A hunter called Gault Isentryx. He showed me the secret that the other villages have been keeping from us. There's an imbalance of power, Athena! We have to do something about it!"
"Interesting," Athena said neutrally. "Well, perhaps there is an imbalance of power, or perhaps there isn't. But I think you'll be happy to hear what I'm about to say next." She took a deep breath, and I listened closely.
"I performed my own research on mana burn. I knew that we bowmen, even with our powers, could not hope to match that of the warriors. I knew that the secret to our power would be mana burn. So I experimented with the effect, despite the danger. And I couldn't risk using others, like the warriors did. So I performed the experiments myself."
She drew back her sleeves, and I gasped, my stomach turning. Her arms, which should have been beautiful and strong, were horribly disfigured, crisscrossed with scars and burns. I felt the urge to retch. Even compared to the rotting Zombie Mushrooms and the grotesque Evil Eyes that I had recently been acquainted with, this was somehow far more horrifying, perhaps because it had been hidden in plain sight and only now come to light.
A single tear dripped from Athena's eye, rolling down her cheek. She didn't wipe it away, instead she shook her sleeves over her arms again. "The price I paid was horrible. I nearly lost the use of my arms. And to a bowman, that would have been torture. But I managed to perfect the technique, like the warriors, and it was published in the bowmen's texts as well."
"I understand," I said, trying to keep the excitement out of my voice. A secret technique that could make us on par with the warriors! "But if it was mastered, then why are you hiding it?"
"Because," Athena said, her voice in a quiet, terrible whisper, "I could master the technique myself, but I couldn't teach it to everyone who wanted to. Unlike the warriors, we bowmen didn't have the strength or stamina to withstand the pressures of the mana burn. As I had feared... many lost their lives perfecting the technique. I couldn't allow this slaughter to destroy us, so I removed all mention of the technique from our books. This copy that I have is the only mention of it. I eventually developed new techniques to replace the power of Final Attack, powers that the rangers and snipers now wield." She sat back in her chair.
"But," I protested. "Surely at least some must have been able to withstand the mana burn and master Final Attack, wouldn't they?" Could I withstand it? Could I learn this secret technique and become the best archer in the world?
Athena looked at me with a calculating expression on her face, seemingly deciding if she should tell me something. Finally she spoke. "Yes. Those precious few, they survived and they mastered the technique. They became dominated by it, and they ignored the rules of our limits. They went above and beyond, creating attacks way beyond the grasp of even rangers and snipers. Dragon's Breath is one. Hurricane is another. However, Final Attack corrupted their minds, and those who remain have mostly sealed themselves away from the world, knowing their power and the destruction they could wreak with it."
She shed another tear, and drew back her sleeve a little bit, revealing part of her scarred, disfigured arm, even though her eyes never left mine. "They are the bowmasters and crossbowmasters, young Phoenix."
"No way," I shuddered. I couldn't look at her arm any longer, so I turned away to face the bookshelves, the wall, the door - anywhere but Athena and her damaged arms. "So Final Attack... is the key to the legendary fourth job?"
"Yes. Without the secret of mana burn, you cannot hope to achieve the full potential of an archer. I did, but I paid the price. I don't want you to go through that kind of torture."
I wanted to agree with Athena. I couldn't stand the sight of the burn scars on her arms, and the thought of my own arms looking that way made my stomach turn.
But. I had made a promise to become the best archer. I knew about the imbalance of power.
And I knew that I could achieve anything I wanted to, as long as I put my mind to it. Gault had said so, after all.
I knew my decision, then. It wasn't really a decision. I didn't have a choice. No matter the price, I would master mana burn. I would master Final Attack, and become a bowmaster, no matter how hard it was, no matter how much work it took, no matter how many scars it cost. I'd made a promise. And I had a goal.
"Athena," I said, forgetting my manners and calling her by her first name. "I have listened to you. Every one of your words is in my heart. But I have made up my mind. I can't live with myself if I let Final Attack and the secret of mana burn pass me by, and I don't want to look back at the years I could have worked. I'm not afraid of the possible consequences. Please, give me the book, and I promise you I will work harder than any other student you've ever had. I won't let myself be weak and succumb like everyone else."
I held her still hand. "I promise I will master Final Attack."
She looked up at me, and there was that strange sad expression on her face. "I know you are a brilliant, studious, and determined archer and I always predicted you would be a great ranger someday. You have to succeed, because you promised. Please, never forget your promise."
"I know," I squeezed her hand tightly. "I understand... Master." The word had just slipped out.
Silently, Athena handed me the book, her book, the only one in the world that contained the secrets to Final Attack. "Please, Phoenix, be careful," she admonished, running her scarred fingers along my flawless arms, as if she knew they would be wounded soon enough.
I shuddered and pushed the thought out of my head, instead moving my hand away to take the book. "Thank you, Master."
"Yes, Phoenix." She turned away from me. I couldn't see her face. I didn't want to intrude upon her any longer either, so I left then.
As I pushed my way out of the doors and into the evening air of Henesys, I knew I had to do two things. I had to master Final Attack to become the best archer in the world, no matter what the cost. And I knew I had to find Gault Isentryx someday, so that I could restore the balance of power in the world.
I knew myself, I knew my goals, I knew what I had to do. And I was willing to work harder than anyone else in order to achieve it.
I'd told Ark that I would visit for dinner, but I hadn't told him when I would reach. So instead of heading straight for the house, I went off to a secluded spot in the outskirts of Henesys instead, so I could begin working on my goals, at least a little bit, while it was still fresh in my mind.
I knew the responsibility that lay before me. True enough, I had accepted Athena's challenge, but I hadn't underestimated Athena's words either. I had seen her tears and I had seen her scars. I knew that this was not something to be taken lightly.
First, I practiced Arrow Blow. I knew it to be a reasonably power skill, yet not very taxing. I closed my eyes, let my magic suffuse me, and released the arrow. The blazing blue bolt of energy flashed through the air and killed a wandering Stump.
However, the monster was not my target. Rather, I was searching for that feeling of the aftermath of my magic.
Now that I was looking for it, I could feel it, sort of. It was like a small gust of wind, gone as quickly as it had came. I felt a surge of excitement. That had to be the mana burn. It was brief, but I could feel it, and I knew what it was and what it could do.
Now, how could I harness it into an attack?
I performed Arrow Blow again, with the same result, but I couldn't seem to grip the mana burn. It kept slipping away from me, just when I needed it most. I began to grow very tired, having to replenish myself with bitter-tasting bottles of blue fluid from the Henesys potion store.
Slowly, I began to fall into my usual rhythm that I always did when developing a new technique. If something didn't work, I never tried it more than thrice. I began changing things up. Perhaps if I focused more, it would be easier. Or perhaps if I focused less. What if I tried a different skill, perhaps Double Shot instead of Arrow Blow? What if I summoned the mana directly?
On my eighty-sixth try, something happened. I performed Arrow Blow, and this time, instead of trying to grab onto the fading strings of magic, I tried to follow the flow of the mana burn, and send additional mana to supplement and amplify that fading stream of mana.
And it worked.
There was a flash of light. I released the bowstring, but at the same time, I felt a line of pain shoot through my arm, and I screamed, dropping my Ryden. But even as I fell, my eyes saw the shining arrow that I had fired. It shone with a beautiful golden light and flew through the air, faster and stronger than any arrow I had fired before, and it struck a snail head-on.
The snail gave a cry of pain as the ground around it exploded forcefully, its slimy body suddenly everywhere, before the monster's remains faded into nothingness as usual. I felt sick, but at the same time, a kind of grim triumph.
So this is Final Attack.
It was the equivalent of throwing a grenade, and I had only begun to use it. Who knew what it could have been like when it was mastered?
Suddenly, it clicked into place. What they said about Athena slaying a dozen Balrogs with one arrow had been true.
She had been using Final Attack, mastered by years of pain and torture.
And one day, I would be able to do it, too.
I turned my attention to my arm. There was something like a scorch mark that ran up the length of my wrist, but the scarred flesh was a ghostly white, not pink like a regular burn. I felt even more sick, but I knew this was the price that Athena had paid, and it was the price I would have to pay for my pursuit of power.
I stood up, brushed the dirt off my armor, and walked into the setting sun, back towards my old home to meet up with my brothers for the first time in months.
"Artemis," said Athena. She wore a disapproving expression on her face as she stood on the Henesys dungeon path, somehow untouched by any bramble bushes.
"Chieftain," replied the pink-haired instructor, a little nervously.
"I was told by a certain Zeraion Phoenix that you berated him for getting too many Dark Marbles."
"Well, that is true, but-"
"How many did he collect?"
"One hundred and fifty-four."
"Hm." Athena Pierce closed her eyes and sighed. "That is good news."
"Good news? What-" the pink-haired instructor said in disbelief. "How is that a good thing? He wasted his own time, not to mention my time, on a fruitless task! He didn't think about his objectives at all, or whether there would be a better way of getting to it! I swear, if I had told him to collect thirty thousand of the Marbles, he would have kept going until he had done it! That-"
"That is exactly why it is good news." Athena waved her off. "I forbid you from bringing up the topic with the boy again. That trait of his may have drawbacks, but it is extremely useful to us. Do you understand me?"
"I... think so..." said the pink-haired instructor slowly. "It makes him easy to influence, easy to control. But that is not ethical, unless... unless you're planning to use him? For that?"
"Yes, for that," said Athena. "Do not speak of it. There is other news. Phoenix has been in contact with Isentryx."
"That can't be good. How do you know?"
"He was talking about the imbalance of power nonsense. Also, Phoenix specifically said he had spoken to Gault."
"Ah. That would do it."
"Obviously, we can't let Gault get his claws into Phoenix. He's important. No doubt Gault has noticed Phoenix's... impressionability... and he already has a head start on influencing the boy. We need to get rid of it."
"How?"
"However we must."
There was a long silence.
"I don't like this," said the pink-haired instructor. "Not one bit. But it's the lesser of the evils, I think."
"Indeed," said Athena. "And so we will do it. I will do my duty, as the Chieftain of Henesys. And you will do your duty as well, Artemis."
The pink-haired instructor hesitated slightly. "Yes, Mother."
"It's settled, then." Athena turned and left, nimbly weaving through the brambles with nary a scratch.
With furrowed brows, Artemis Pierce watched her go.
