A symphony of pneumatics and dull impacts echoed through the room as targets deployed from the far wall. Energy pulsed through the training room walls, ready to empower the archery targets.

  The two women began pulling bows from the wall, before drawing the string and releasing without an arrow.

  Jack moved on autopilot. He forced himself to go through his stretching routine, keeping his head down, focusing only on the bow in his hands. It didn’t work. He winced at their actions. They don’t have a clue what they’re doing. Why are they here? He felt Sam’s presence behind him… Don’t draw attention. Just one hour. Fuck! This was supposed to be relaxing.

  He heard Linda’s light laughter echoing as she tested a bow that she couldn’t pull back more than a couple of inches.

  They can’t know, but what if they do? Jack’s hands trembled as he prepared his first arrow. What if they’re here for me?

  To his left, Toma called out, “Jack! Look! I can draw it back properly now!”

  Jack turned. “Good, Toma. That’s great.” His heart still hammered like a war drum in his chest. They’re here. What if the other one is outside waiting? He imagined the swordsman with the shield hidden just outside the Guild’s entrance, ready to strike. If they find out who I am… His bow grip tightened. …then this room becomes a cage.

  “System,” Ella said. “Set training room to Novice Archer, level one. Beginner level one.” She looked over at the two young women testing bows and shook her head. “Set my area to Novice Archer, level one. Beginner level four.”

  A restless breeze stirred near Ella, gusting in and out like the wind was debating its mood. The lights on the right side of the training room flickered and dimmed, while the left side, where Toma and Jack stood, stayed bright.

  Like before, Toma left his settings at Novice Archer, level zero. Beginner level zero, the lowest setting. Without thinking, Jack set his lane to Novice Archer, level zero. Beginner level two.

  “Don’t do that to the bows, you’ll break them!” Nessa shouted.

  “Do what?” Sam asked as she shot another empty bow.

  “That!” Nessa called out as she approached Sam. “You’ll damage the bows if you draw and release them without an arrow nocked.”

  “Oh. Really?” Linda asked.

  “Yes!” Nessa snapped. “Do you know nothing about archery?”

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  Linda and Sam shook their heads.

  “It’s our first time,” Sam said. “We need more protection.”

  Nessa shook her head. “The bows on the right are the weaker ones. Start with those.” She pointed at Toma. “Like the boy is using.”

  The female voice returned:

  Begin when ready.

  At the end of the six lanes, the targets either remained still or moved according to the individual lane settings.

  “Awesome!” Toma shouted as he pulled back a nocked arrow.

  The two women each grabbed a bow with a low poundage and headed back to their training lanes.

  Thunk. Toma had already started loosing arrows.

  Nessa chuckled. “You need a quiver of arrows as well.” She grabbed two quivers and passed them over before returning to her lane while muttering something under her breath.

  “This is more complicated than we thought,” Sam said to Linda.

  The healer nodded before asking, “Should we change our settings?” She aimed the question towards Ness and Ella.

  “No. Start at the lowest setting. Like the boy,” Ella advised while she pulled back a nocked arrow.

  Jack had been observing in silence as the two women, who wanted him dead, showed how little they knew about archery. What are they doing here? He thought about what one of them said about them needing ‘more protection’. Is that because of me?

  Thunk. Ding.

  “Jack! Jack! I got one,” Toma called, pulling him from his thoughts.

  Jack turned to the teenager. “Well done. Practice makes perfect.” He focused on his own targets. Ignore them and concentrate on archery, he told himself, before missing three targets in a row.

  For the next few minutes, he found it impossible to concentrate on archery practice. On his left, he had Toma vying for his attention like a toddler trying to get their big brother to acknowledge their achievements. On his right, Sam and Linda complained to each other about how hard archery was as they fumbled through.

  Jack was hitting fewer targets than Toma. Damn it! This isn’t working, he thought as he missed another target. I’ll help the boy until I calm down. He turned towards Toma. “Your shoulders are dropping as you release,” he said after watching him shoot a couple of arrows. “Try to maintain your form through the shot.”

  Toma nodded with a big grin. He pulled back another arrow, held his shoulders firm, and released. Thunk. Ding. “Yeah! Got it!” he celebrated. Pumping his bow arm in the air.

  “Much better,” Jack said. At least one of us is having fun.

  The boy nocked another arrow.

  “Twist your right foot a little to your front,” Jack advised. “Yep. That’s it. Remember, don’t rush your aim, hold for at least three seconds when training.” As Toma held his aim, he continued. “When you choose the Novice Archer class, one of your first skills will be True Aim. For it to activate takes six seconds at level zero.”

  Thunk. Ding. “Yes! Three in a row.” Toma jumped in the air. “Thanks, Jack, you’re awesome!”

  He smiled under his mask. “You’re the one doing the work, I’m just giving advice. You’re going to make for a skilled archer someday.”

  He wasn’t exaggerating. The kid appeared to be a natural; he was absorbing Jack’s advice and progressing fast.

  “I wish I had half your natural talent,” Jack complimented him. Helping Toma calmed his nerves. They aren’t here for me. It’s a coincidence… or maybe the Gods are messing with me! There were plenty of tales where the Gods had messed with the lives of mortals.

  Toma released his arrow, thunk, and missed. He’d flushed pink at the compliment. “Thanks, Jack.”

  Someone tapped Jack on the shoulder, making him jump, spin around, and reach for his dagger. “Shit!”