Chapter 11. Archery After Two Thousand Years (Part 2)

"What do you mean by that? I don't understand you at all," Advik sighed, "I don't know if I am good or not but I can shoot flying birds or moving objects easily."

"Hmm… I think it is enough then," Vismay drifted back inside the forest where some big trees were standing. It was trying to find something while inspecting those trees there.

Advik curiously followed the Fireball. He heard that brat's noisy voice but he decided to ignore it for now.

He stepped next to Vismay, dying because of the confusion, he asked, scowling, "What are you doing? The wind is getting stronger and your behavior is getting even weirder. Asking dumb and irrelevant questions at the wrong time and now mindlessly roaming in this forest! Just what… What is happening here? Care to explain anything to me, Vismay?"

Vismay stopped and came near him, with a usual gentle but thick tone, the Fireball replied, "Do you know how to make a bow and arrow using this type of wood?" Vismay was indeed serious while asking the question.

Advik was dumbfounded, "...Huh?" He was surely more than surprised by what he heard, "Wh-what did you say? Are you stupid or what?"

Vismay was as calm as before, "The wood of these trees is very durable and flexible. They can bend as much as you want and would not break unless one uses their cultivation energy to break them. If you make a bow and arrows from it, it certainly will be of very high quality."

The uneasiness and turmoil were building more and more inside of Advik, his chest crunched by the frustration, "Oh! Wow! So what can I do if the wood here is so good for archery? I don't care!"

The Fireball was calm, "Just go and ask the kid if he knows mountain climbing, even a little. Well, I know they teach them every survival technique in that palace but just ask him to be certain."

"W-what? Mountain climbing? Do you even know how steep the mountainside is from where he is standing? It doesn't even have any cracks or holes to barely put one's hand in it and you want him to climb it? He can never do that, he's just a child!"

Vismay pushed him from behind and dragged him near the abyss where he was standing before, "Just go and do as I say."

Advik looked behind his back, annoyed, "Hey!"

Advik was too tired to argue any more than he already did, thus, he just stopped thinking much and let the Fireball push him from behind. 

He looked down when he reached the abyss again. The kid was still waving and shouting but silent himself when he saw Advik up there. He inhaled some air to stay sane then without any interest, he spoke, "Hey kid, do you know mountain climbing? Do you have some upper body strength?"

The boy was also exhausted after waving and shouting that much. He also didn't want to argue or waste any of his energy, hence, he just gave a straight answer without much thought, "Mountain climbing is not my plus point but I am very good at doing handstands, so I am sure my upper body's strength is higher than many people."

Advik turned with a disgruntled face, "You heard that, right? Now what?"

"Go back in the forest,"  Vismay ordered. Satisfaction and encouragement were hiding in his tone, "Make a bow and some arrows using the branches of those trees. It would be strong enough to work for us. Use some vines to make the bowstring, understand? Now start working." 

Advik just opened his mouth to ask something but Vismay interrupted him by saying, "Don't you even dare ask anything right now. Just do what I am saying."

The Firefly Tara also jumped in midair with amusement seeing Advik get ordered by Vismay.

With an uncomfortable heart and half-assed willfulness, Advik went to collect the woods. I will kill that Fireball, no…what's its name? Vismay? Vismay… right? I will definitely kill him. How can he order me around like that? Advik searched the ground and every tree, touching and feeling them to find the best kind of wood. He broke some branches and tried to bend some of them one by one just to see how flexible they could be, "I have to find some long and slim one for arrows." He didn't know when he seriously started doing his job. 

He collected some branches that were everywhere on the land and put them on his waist. He tied them on his waist with a long vine. Then he tied two sides of another branch with a vine to make a bow. "This should be fine," he smiled and stretched the bowstring.

He positioned himself as though he was about to throw the arrow but there was no arrow on the bow, his eye was closed as he was trying to aim in space, "It's a nostalgic feeling for me. It's been so many years since I last aimed at any target with an arrow."

The feeling in his heart was warm and innocent after holding the bow and arrows. Even though the bow and those arrows were just made from a branch and even when they looked just like some kid's toy it was still a bow and arrows. They were nothing compared to the real highly spiritual weapons yet they were giving him the peace of mind he was searching for the whole day.

He always used a sword as his personal weapon though bow and arrows were just too special to him. Someone very special taught him archery so, obviously, archery was special to him. Way more special than any gold palace or thousand of precious stones. He couldn't remember exactly who taught him archery yet he knew that the person was important. 

Even the emotions he was feeling while smiling and aiming at the sky without any arrows were priceless to him. It was the heavenly pleasure he was feeling. He was in his own world when he remembered to take the arrows and bow to Vismay, "Oh f**k! I have to go back." He rushed back to where he came from.

Vismay and Tara saw him coming. Tara was like always--jumping in midair after seeing Advik come back to her.

"It seems you've made the bow and arrows," said Vismay with a dim pleased tone.

"No, I have to sharpen these branches so they could become more like arrows. Right now it's just wood. Let me sharpen them," he searched the land and found a keen flat rock. His eyes twinkled as he took the rock, "This will work," he sat and began his work. After inspecting every arrow's sharpness he straightened his body. "Hmm…here," Advik showed the bow and arrows to Vismay, "So what now? How is this going to help that kid?"

He was still perplexed.

Vismay floated a bit higher and returned soon, "Do you still remember what I said a while ago about those mountains and wind?"

"Of course, how can I forget that? It was a long speech about how strong the wind is and how it can send anything back to us with much more force."

"Hey, don't talk on your own." The kid shouted with fury from the cliff. "Help me. I'm down here waiting for someone to help me. Is there anyone who still remembers me?" 

Advik looked down into the abyss, "Silence, okay. I am trying to help you here but this Fireball is just too crazy to understand that. Just wait," he was also losing his patience.

"How long do I have to wait? Can't you do something faster?" the brat grumpily asked.

"Just wait!" Advik replied to the kid. He gazed at Vismay and asked with a grimace, "What now? I don't understand anything anymore! Why are you even more difficult than that riddle of that demon gate."

It looked as if Vismay chuckled after hearing that. "Look, you have your bow and arrows in your hands and that mountain is ahead of you," the Fireball explained, "Do whatever you can do with these three things. I have helped you enough. Now it's your turn to help that child."

Advik was baffled, unsettled, and bewildered about the whole situation. "What the hell? What can I do with these things?" He put up his hand which had the bow, his deep eyes stared at It like he was in thoughts. "What-what can I do?" he pulled out an arrow from his waist, staring at the piece of wood in confusion. 

Vismay and Tara were attentively looking at him and the kid stopped looking upwards because his neck started to hurt; he was thinking something with closed eyes.

After staring at the bow and the arrow, Advik glanced at the mountain. He remembered what Vismay said to him about those mountains. Closing his eyes he thought something while clenching the things in his hands. He straightened his hand which was holding the bow and put the arrow on it. With closed eyes, he positioned himself with the bow and arrow as if he was ready to shoot the arrow. He was still worried and troubled but still stood straight and set his eyes on those far away mountains.

This time Advik had an actual arrow on the bow to shoot. Somehow, he was uncomfortable, unconfident about his archery, it was two thousand years ago when he last used this weapon in front of someone so there was some uncertainty in his trembling finger and dried throat.

Even though it was just a Fireball, a Firefly, and a brat who were there it still made him anxious about his archery. He was not at all optimistic about his abilities. His memories were lost still he remembered the feel and pleasure he used to get while doing archery, how every vibration on the bowstring used to make his heart shake in joy and enthusiasm. He was incredibly delighted to have the bow and the arrow in his hands but the pressure of doing it in front of someone was somehow overwhelming him.

His doubt on himself was making him tremble, his hands started to shiver, he lost his whole focus. The only thought filled in his mind was he could not do this again. He was about to lose the grip on the bow and the arrow but then a voice came.

"Advik, FOCUS!" Vismay commented. "Just think of your target and you will understand everything else on your own. Just believe in yourself and your archery." 

His eyes widened, he woke up from his doubtful thoughts by Vismay's voice. He again tightly held the weapon in his hand. Shutting his eyes he took a deep breath then again tried to remember what Vismay told him about the wind and the mountains.

After some moment of silence, he opened his eyes, this time the eyes of his were somehow different, somehow confident, somehow sparkling with believing in himself; it was as if the words of Vismay gave him some lightning like a strike. It was as if he realized what he had to do.

He glanced at those mountains and then down in the pit, he looked as though he was examining and calculating the whole area. After staring at those mountains again for a while he got something in his mind, "Ahh! Now I know what I have to do." Quickly assuring that his arrows are still on his waist he moved on the right side of the mountain he was standing on.  

Searching everywhere and looking everywhere he was moving ahead, "I have to find a higher place just a little higher than this mountain. It'll be great if I could find a tree or a small hill."

He was looking for a higher place and as if his wish was heard by some God, just moments later he saw a large and tall tree near the edge of the mountain. "My God! You really heard me this fast?" he beamed. His legs swiftly moved towards the tree. Without any difficulty, he climbed the tree as soon as he came close to it. He sat on a strong branch which he found strong enough to handle his weight, "This will be fine."

Advik was exhausted but ignored it and positioned himself to shoot. He grabbed the bow in his left hand and an arrow in the other hand. He put the arrow on the bow and pulled the bowstring. He took a deep breath and set his eyes on those mountains ahead of him, "Now I know what I've to do."

Advik smiled, he closed his eyes and sighed once again then he opened his sparkling eyes and shot the arrow as he planned. Just after a few moments, he saw the arrow come back with rapid speed in the direction of the kid.