What Lies Beneath

Chapter 5

"Hey, kids. My name is Lady Marie."

    Asha planted her eyes on the wood elven woman in front of her. The woman was thin and tall with sharp features that demanded respect. Her blond hair was cut short in such a ragged fashion that anyone could tell an amateur had sawed it off. Her greens eyes constantly shifted between the teenagers in the room, taking a moment at each to bore into their souls.

     "As you should already know, in my class, throwing the hardest punch will get you nowhere. You'll need accuracy and guts. Don't think you can get away with slacking off in this class."

     A loud "Yes ma'am" resounded throughout the room.

     Lady Marie continued, "Alright. Today I will simply be tapping into everyone's potential. Everyone here will show me what they can do, though I have no doubt that you will all perform on par."

     Asha trailed her teacher's eyes as they landed on her. Behind them, she spotted expectancy and doubt.

     "In the first part of this session, we will be testing your range with a bow and a spear. In the second portion, we will be playing a quick game of Hunter. Everyone, go grab a bow."

     Asha turned to look at the rest of the group and waited for them as they scattered to the wall where all the weapons were aligned. She examined all of them from afar. All of them were good bows, but only about three were above the rest. However, she doubted anyone would grab them as they certainly looked older and less cool.

     She began advancing toward them when one person, in particular, walked up and grabbed one of the bows. It was the tall guy that she had been trying to avoid. He at least knew a good bow when he saw one.

     She smiled and walked straight up next to him, grabbing a bow from the wall. She took a few seconds to inspect it. The cables were properly laced on and it was a perfect weight. She tossed it up before catching it again and walking toward where the quivers were. The only numbers left were forty-nine and fifty.

     "Well if I won't be first, it won't hurt to be last either," she said.

     She shrugged and reached for the quiver with the number fifty imprinted on it. When her hands wrapped around it, she pulled it up and over her shoulder. She then walked over toward the rest of the group, intending to inspect the arrows after they started.

     Lady Marie's voice cut across the room, "Alright. Everyone get ready. We'll be going through this in numerical order. I have five targets set up at each station, each further than the last. Each of your arrows have the same number imprinted on your quiver, imprinted on the tail. Now I will like the first five people to pick a spot."

     Five people of varying genders and species step up to five different spots. All of their bows were alright, but they weren't anything special. One of them in particular caught Asha's interest. He was a wood elf with great posture and an amazing stance.

     Asha didn't bother to watch them go. Instead, she pulled out her arrows from their quiver—one by one. For each, she'd inspect the fletching, the spine, and the arrowhead. Five of them were good, while the rest each had something up with it. One had a blunt arrowhead, one had a cracked arrowhead, two had poorly attached fletchings and one had a spine that was far too thin.

     When she looked up, there was a human who had just shot an arrow. When it hit the target, it ricocheted off of it. Her eyes trailed back to him and he murmured something under his breath before raising his hand.

     He shouted, "Lady Marie, may I please retake that shot?"

     "No! Keep going with the next target!"

     The boy looked dejected but kept going anyway. Asha, on the other hand, let her eyes and mind drift away. She already knew what she needed and just had to wait her turn. She let her body relax as some of her thoughts took over.

     Today was the first day of school. She both showed up and showed out in the first class, and she was going to this class, too. However, that was the smallest concern that she had.

     Her eyes darted around the room until her eyes lay upon one face. The guy who now knew her biggest secret— and even shared the same one. She doubted he'd tell, but still, there was something about him. And not knowing what will be the scariest part about it until they talk.

     But then again, what if he doesn't care about himself getting outed? No, that would be pretty stupid. What if he has a stable story and better control over his powers? Well, she had to admit that pretty much everyone had better control than she did. But still, he'd be able to rat her out without there being even a chance of his own cover blown.

     What if...

     "Numbers forty-five to fifty, please take your positions!"

     Lady Marie's voice ripped her from her thoughts. Asha climbed to her feet quickly and strutted over to her station on the end. When she looked over to the left, she saw the guy from earlier directly next to her.

     'Aw great.'

     He lifted his arm with the bow up and plucked at the cable a few times before getting into his stance. Asha stared for a few more seconds before getting into the stance herself. She'd left the ruined arrows where she was sitting before so she grabbed randomly at the ones in the quiver.

     She knocked it onto the cable and pulled it back to her chin. She took a deep breath and let herself sink into her zone. The sounds surrounding her soon quieted down to but a whisper in the background. Her eyes focused on one thing and one thing only—the target's bullseye. Every other sense in her body was focused on taking her surroundings into account to prepare for the next motion.

     "Start!"

     With that single word cueing her, she released the arrow. It flew through the air—straight and true—and hit its mark. 

     Bullseye.

     The next motions came quickly as she repeated the process. Target after target, she hit her mark. Bullseyes each and every time. 

     When she looked to her left, the same could be said for that guy—and the wood elven girl next to him. It seemed she'd also spotted one of the good bows. The girl looked over to her and offered a small smile—congratulatory and celebratory.

     The sound of clapping echoed through the gym originating from their teacher. 

     Asha turned toward her teacher who said, "Alright, I guess that's the last of you guys. Congratulations to you three on the end. Wonderful. Not only did you pick the best bows, but you also sorted through the arrows and hit your mark each time. Very well done."

     The three of them replied, "Thank you, Lady Marie."

     Asha felt a sort of pride well up in her chest. She slung the bow over her shoulder and walked back over to the group chin high and full of pride. The other students up with her walked off not soon after. The boy from earlier was soon at her side.

     "Hey."

     Asha smirked. "You're quite the shot, aren't ya?"

     He chuckled—very curt. "I guess you are, too. And a fighter too, as our last class how shown us."

     She glanced over at him. "Your name."

     He perked a brow up. "Pardon?"

     "What is your name?"

     He c****d his head before giving her a mysteriously look and replying, "Arsenio. Funny how we've talked a few times today and even shared a secret, yet we are just now getting acquainted."

     She completely turned her body to face him. She looked up at him but looked in no way inferior or intimidated by the tall and broad guy in front of her.

     She hesitated before speaking, "My name's Asha. It's a pleasure to meet someone as talented as yourself."

     "Well... Asha. I do believe we will be getting very acquainted rather soon. You are one interesting being."

     "You, too. I look forward to it," she replied.

     He leaned forward and moved his lips down until they were right next to her ear. 

     His voice was but a whisper, "Soon princess."

     He didn't waste a second more before he walked away. Asha trailed him with her eyes as he crept to the back of the crowd—blending in, and observing.

     Lady Marie pointed toward the line parallel to them as she uttered her last command, "Alright! Everyone grab a spear and stand on the line."

     Asha hadn't paid much attention to what was said before since she had been talking to Arsenio, but she kind of guessed what they were going to be doing.  So, she walked over to the wall and looked over the spears.

     It seemed that this time around, everyone was being a lot more selective on their spear choices. One person went for the oldest looking one in hopes that it would be just like the bows. 

     A fool's mistake.

     She gazed over each one in an effort to get off to a generally good start. It seemed, this time, that the newest looking one may actually be the best one. She walked up to the spear in all its glory—even looked as if its point was recently sharpened and polished.

     Her hand gripped its wooden engraved shaft. It squeezed slightly around the weapon as she pulled it up and off the wall. She brought the spear closer to examine the spearhead. It was properly attached and sharpened without a c***k in sight.

     She smiled as she brought it to herself and walked to the line—making sure to go as far down the line as she possibly could. She looked down the path in front of her. For every few feet, there was a new marker made to make measuring the distance thrown easier.

     Asha twirled the spear delicately in her hands before slicing diagonally once, then twice. She then squatted twice and popped out into a few lunges. She'd need her whole body to launch the spear the way she wanted to.

     "Good luck. Though I doubt you really need it."

     She turned her head toward the familiar voice. Her gaze laid upon Arsenio who had once against took up a post right next to her. His spear—like the bow—was expertly chosen.

     She smiled. "You, too."

     A few seconds passed before Lady Marie announced, "I hope you are all ready! I'm ready when you are."

     Someone further down the line was the first to throw their spear. They had a decent distance to their throw, but nothing spectacular. Asha waited until everyone else started throwing their spears to get in her stance and launch it. It cut through the air in its majestic flight before landing far down the lane.

     For the next few seconds, the clattering of spears is all that can be heard throughout the gym. Once the sound finally ceased, Lady Marie's voice boomed through the room.

     "Very well done. Second to the end, you've done very well. All the way on the end, third, and first all did pretty well, too. Congratulations."

     Asha looked next to her at Arsenio, then trailed her eyes across the room. His spear was embedded in the wall to the far back, at least two meters further than the person in second place. She, herself, hit third. After all, she couldn't tap into her supernatural strength like her friend next to her foolishly did.

     She glanced at him out of her peripheral vision before turning back front.

     "Alright! Everyone grab your spears and keep them to the side. They—along with the bows—will be yours for the semester until you earn your real ones. Then, step outside so I may administer the last part of your test."

     Asha looked over to Arsenio and said, "Looks like it's on to the last part. I look forward to actually going head to head with you Mr. TallAndSerious. Be prepared for a beatdown."

     With that, she walked down the lane—a satisfied smile on her face.