Unbound 03

The last crackle of the weapon resounded in Cailina's ears. She pursed her lips as she looked at Cassius. His countenance changed as soon as he held the weapon. 

The warm look in his eyes was replaced by a sharp gaze that hit the mark every time he released his shot.

A servant went near to the target and raised his flag. He shouted with joy as he relayed the message that it was a bullseye.

Not a single miss.

On the other hand, Lord Galgon's aim was mostly near the mark.

Lord Galgon patted his son's back as he laughed at his brilliance. Not only Cassius has inventions that surpassed his own; his son was also good with weaponry.

"Good aim, my Lord!" 

The servants cheered as they rang praises to him endlessly. He gave a smile as he approached Cailina. He clearly saw how anxious she was, it might be best to come up with an excuse so his father could leave the Lady alone.

"Lady Cailina, you need not to worry," Lord Galgon said as he handed her a weapon of her own.

Cassius side-glanced at his father's obliviousness. He reached out to take the weapon, but before his hand touched it, Cailina's porcelain fingers gripped the handle. 

The contrast between her and the weapon somewhat made a perfect balance painting. Her softness subtly became sharp as her hands positioned firmly. 

Cailina observed how they handled the weapon while they were shooting rounds. She needed to learn it without mistake for all of this to end.

She took a deep breath and nodded at Cassius. 

His heart raced at her gesture. He shook his head and followed behind her. She showed no sign of nervousness as if the worry in her eyes were a figment of his imagination.

"No need to be worried about your aim, my Lady." 

Cassius comforted. He stepped back but was close enough to jump into action if he sensed something that would hurt the favored one.

He was beyond worried. He glanced at his father as he taught Cailina the proper way to fire the weapon.

Lord Galgon nodded to himself as he deemed Cailina fit to fire at her first target.

"Your face betrayed you," he said as he placed his hands on his back.

"If anything falls out of our favor," Cassius turned to his father, "we might not just lose our work, but our lives as well."

"I always wanted a daughter," his father replied. He bore his attention at Cailina who was taking deep breaths, he smiled and looked at his son.

"But I was blessed with a stubborn son."

Cassius sighed. He counted the seconds that Cailina remained still. She was a statue with the weapon pointed straight at the target.

The wind softly howled, sweeping Cailina's hair to the sides. She could hear her breathing as her hand stiffened.

What was she afraid of? Her father trusted Cassius. There was no reason to doubt the safety of it.

She closed her eyes and pictured Aris beside her, wearing a small smile on his face as he cheered her on with his warm gaze.

A thundering clap reverberated from the trial ground to the heart of the dense forest.

Cailina's lips tugged upward as she saw the first shot went through the middle of the target. 

A bullseye.

"Remarkable!" Lord Galgon cheered.

The servants' praises floated with their cheers. It was their first time seeing a lady grab a weapon, and use it. 

They expected the Lady to reject the offer, but as soon as they saw her take the weapon, their respect for her filled their hearts to the brim.

Cassius narrowed his eyes. His focus fixed on the weapon more than Cailina's target.

She positioned herself and pointed at the target with much confidence. Another two of these thunderous shots and everything would be over.

She could return to her peaceful day at the mansion with a book in her hand.

Thanks to training with Aris in archery, she could pass for a third rank knight.

During her free time at the fief, she would join Aris for a couple of arrows. It was a way for her to spend time with her puppy. She became interested in weapons because Aris enjoyed them.

Aris would stop himself from blabbering on about his interest and revert to a silent attendant, which Cailina found frustrating.

When she had thought that their distance was closing in, Aris would step back and redraw the line.

Remembering her puppy's obvious hesitation to rekindle their friendship, she seemed frozen on the spot. 

Cassius' brows knitted as he stepped forward to convince her that it was fine if she decided to rest. 

His father placed a hand on his shoulder as he shook his head, "Let her be."

"Do you not see father? The Lady clearly does not enjoy this kind of activity."

Cassius snapped, his eyes burned with displeasure. He walked away from his father, but his arm was grabbed and pulled back to his place.

"Patience," Lord Galgon said.

Within the heart of the trees, a young man sat on a branch as his lips formed a thin line of amusement. His snow hair swayed from the occasional wind. He appeared as an otherworldly being that visited the land to see what fun it would offer.

"My, my," he said as he took a bit of the apple, "our little Estrell is becoming a destructive one."

His light laughter rang, and his presence gone before a leaf could land on him.

Cailina wasted not another second and quickly released the lead from her weapon. She had enough of the father and son's bickering behind her back.

Unfortunately, she missed the middle by a close margin. 

Her lips pulled up in a frown and turned to Cassius, "I would like to rest after the last shot."

She faced back the target before Cassius could utter a reply. She aimed the weapon and fired without delay.

Her vision was blocked by Cassius' chest. She caught a glimpse of his hand and the weapon thrown at a distance; shattered to pieces.

She returned her gaze at his hand and saw blood.