I Am The Archer

The Archer

                                                                                                                                          P A L A C E   O F   O L E A S

The titanic double doors of the kingdom opened, as a group of knights entered, their armors clanging carelessly as they walk with quick strides. The king was eating his dinner. It was an unexpected hour for them to come. When they reached him, they all bow down to their knees.

"My King, the south village in the city of Elencia just disclosed that the archer came. She's back, your highness." The marshal knight reported and the king drop his utensils, looking at the marshal knight with hatred. 

The king nod his head, letting him continue his report. 

"She was wearing a white gown, your highness, and she was claiming her name is Mayari."

The king scoffed and put his hand under his chin. "Have you found the name Mayari? Even the namesake is foreign."

"There's none, your highness."

"I believe this is another one of her schemes! Why was she there!?" The king growled. His fists turned white with the continuous clenching.

The knight bowed his head, afraid of making his king mad. "She was enquiring for help, your highness, the villagers have told."

"Assistance? For what!?" 

'Is she building troops against me? Against the kingdom?'

"The villagers told that she seemed clueless of where she is. She even asked what world is this." They heard Faint snickers from behind the marshal knight, he turned his head 90 degrees and the snickering stopped, coughs replaced them, obviously trying to hide their laughters.

'She's gone insane' The king whispered to himself.

"She also used her bow to escape the villager's men, your highness. She left without a trace, as quick as the wind."

 "Are the men injured?" 

"Thankfully no, your highness. They believe she's gotten stronger."

"Nonsense! Have you found her?" 

"No, your highness. She disappeared quickly as she appeared." 

The king lost his cool and stomped his fist against the manchette of his throne. Echoing in the four corners of the headroom. 

"Find her in any means! I want her! Dead or alive! I don't care! I will hang her head on the palace gate!"

"Yes, your highness!" The knights answered with power and left the throne room, barking orders on the lower ranks as they wanted to eliminate the threat leaving in the kingdom. 

The king sat on his throne, running his fingers on his temples, trying to relax himself. The worry lines, deepening as he worries even more. She was confirmed dead, a week ago but then her body disappeared, just like the prince's body did. 

No one knew where it is or how it disappeared, and now they got a news, people attest seeing her alive and using her power, stronger than before, made the king's nerve ring in alarm. 

He only want peace, and now the archer's back and the eclipse cycles are getting more fervent killing more people and destroying more and more cities. 

"My king, why did the knights came?" The queen asked as she bring tea for her consort. 

"The archer's back." And the tea slipped the queen's fingertips, memories of the past haunting her. 

                                                                                                                                    F O R E S T   O F   E L E N C I A

In the forest another maiden was walking, she was holding a glaive a polearm, comprising a single-edged blade on the end of a pole. It was perfect for throwing and for a close range combat. It seems heavy, but it's an easy throw. 

"Nymeria, where are you?" She whispered in the trees as she use her glaive to cut the tall grass. 

"It's been a week and you're still not here!" She clenched her jaw and look at the sky. The stars where shining, winking at her as if they know something she don't.

"I hope you reincarnated." She whispered again and continue to cut the tall grass, as she walks further into the woods. 

Using her night vision she look for a rare item that she heard had fall in the forest. It'll be useful to forge in an accessory to help them power up and beat more enemies easily as the eclipse cycle ends. 

"Where the hell is that bainite!" She whisper-yelled cutting forcefully on the leaves who are blocking her sight. 

"I swear, Nymeria should've been here finding that rare gem with me!" She angrily swished her glaive and found a snake, shredding it skin.

"Well, look at that. Another item I need." She said and walked towards the snake. 

The snake felt an intruder and positioned itself, it scaly body moving against it, there the maiden looked closely at her luck.

"I'm in luck! Now, we can do these the easy way snake, just give me the skin and I'll be off and let you go."

'I just need a python skin!'

But the snake turned aggressive, copying her moves and waiting the perfect time to attack. With enough experience, she didn't waste any time and decapitated it with her sharp glaive, holding it with one hand. 

The standing snake gushed a fountain of blood, it's head flying over the river, crossing the other land. And it fell limp on its scaly body. 

"I told you we can do this the easy way. Still, not a waste, I have food after this." She said and opened her inventory to get a bag, and gloves to protect herself. She cut the long skin and hide more for herself. She'll be needing it too. As much as she needs money.

 After bagging it together with the snakeskin, she turned away when in the corner of her eye absorbed a glint of shine. The moonlight created a good job of making it shimmer.

Looking back at the area, she found what she was looking for; it was the rare gem she was trying to find twelve hours ago. It was a drop from the snake. The painite was a size of a pebble rock, covering her palm. The rich redness of color make it look like a ruby, but she knew it was more valuable than a ruby. 

"What did I do to deserve this double luck!?" She screamed happily and was about to put it into her inventory when someone spoke. 

"Our luck." The man said, holding a sword. Behind him are two other boys one was holding a dagger, and another was holding a firelance. 

"Are you sure?" Then she flew away, the boys automatically followed her. She put the stone on her underwear and ran away. 

'I need to either outrun them or mislead or when everything comes to worse, kill them.'

And the boy with the sword surprised her. She quickly raised her glaive and push him a meter away. She also felt the other two boys nearing her and she swing her glaive, slicing them on their arms and knees. 

"You always lose, Adri. Who won't you give up?" 

"Not this time, when I'm given a tremendous amount of gold." Adri, scoffed and rock his sword. 

"Tch, That's unfair you pawn!" She aimed her glaive at Adri. 

"How about you, Thala still looking for her master?" Adri teased and Thala only shrugged. 

She wants to finish everything and just go home, why are there arising problems?

"Get her!" Adri shouted and the wounded boys tried to act tough. 

On her left were shooting daggers, on her right was the firelancer and in front of her was the sword. 

"Don't you think, you used to much manpower to take a girl down?" She conversed. 

"Och, girls really like chattering!" Then he ran toward Thala, determined to pierce her with his sword, the dagger boy also pulled out his and shoot her. Thala instantly dodged the in-flight daggers, and they ended up piercing Adri. 

"Muzo! You i***t!" Adri exclaimed as he fell down, clutching his multiple impales. 

"Ooh, sorry 'bout that Adri. By the way It looks good on you." Thala insulted and jumped off, she's determined to finish this fight.

Kicking Muzo's head to unconsciousness and gliding her glaive at the firelancer, the arrow went back to the shooter like a shuttlecock, impaling him on his mouth. 

"That's nasty." 

'These boys really never put up a good fight. I'm tired of winning easily!' She thought while looking at their closed eyes. Dusting both of her hands as she hide her weapon. 

The firelancer slowly turning to particles flying away like dust. 

"You b*tch!" She heard Adri cursed painfully. 

"Well, see you again when you respawned. If you respawned." Then she fled off to the market to trade the python skin and but materials. 

After the long walk down the hill, she reached the small market of the city; it was still untouched by the eclipse. The lights were bright and there are other people shopping for items, new armors and weapons, levelling up their gears for the next eclipse cycle. 

As she found her favorite shop, she barged in pulling out the heavy bag of the python snake skin. 

"How much can you give me?" She asked the thick man with a long hair. He opened the bag and was surprised to see what he always need. 

"700 gold." He said, looking at the snakeskin with awe. 

He like how his hands felt against the soft material. His eyes shining in delight, never minding Thala. Was getting irritated. She grab the bag strenuously making the man's lips upside down as his eyes trailed at the bag. 

"Are you sure? I can find more buyers who will pay me more." Then she attempted to walk out of the shop, making the man release a desperate cry. His hands out trying to stop her. #

"What?" 

"Fine! I'll but it one thousand of gold." 

"Only a thousand?" 

"A thousand and five! Last call." He pleaded. His eyes drooping trying to win her. 

"Good." She smirked, a thousand was enough, but she needs a payback for his over pricing products.

"Give me the bag of gold first before I give you my product." She said and the man nodded enthusiastically. Going inside the room and returned half a minute with a small pouch of gold. 

Thala hold and opened the bag of gold first before she's certain, it was enough. 

"Here." She threw her product and left the shop, putting the gold on her inventory first. 

Thala was walking around the city when she saw knights running in different directions. A group of women were talking and Thala can't stop herself from eavesdropping, she slowly adjust her pace and try to listen to their hushed voices. 

"I heard the archer came to the village and attack them!" 

"Oh, my dear king! Are they fine?" 

"They are! My sister told me that she saw the archer!"

"She should've been dead!"

"It's been a week! Are you sure it was her?"

"Of course it was her, she's the only archer, with a bow and arrow as a weapon!"

Thala's ears couldn't believe what they heard. Is she really back? 

She then hurried back to the forest when a knight stopped everyone. The marshal came in with his horse and grab the attention of the townspeople. 

"Listen up! The southern village reported that they have seen the archer! Yes, she's back, and she's gotten stronger---

'Stronger?' 

----she's wearing a white gown and her famous weapon, she's believed to find allies and if you have any information about it, please relay it to us, the palace will grant you a reward!"

Thala whispered to the knight nearest to her. 

"Have you have any lead?"

"I'm sorry, but it's confidential, I do not advise us to disclose any important detail." The knight politely answered. 

"Okay, just even from where she's last seen?" She pried. The knight looked at him weirdly. "Uhm, so that I can avoid it. I'm still levelling up you know, for my safety?" She reasoned. 

"She was last seen at the southern village, she disappeared again." 

She faked a surprise and thanked him. Leaving the city and to the forest.

                                                                                                                                                            T R E E H O U S E 

'

Knock on the trunk thrice to activate the staircase -Nymeria.' 

Looking at the note, Mayari smacked her forehead.

"I almost lose my fist! When I just need to knock on the trunk!" She shook her head in dismay.

'I should've looked around first before experimenting.'

She thought, but it was too late now.

She read the passage again, and noticed the name on it, Nymeria.

"Who's Nymeria? She's probably the owner of this house." She mumbled looking at the piece of paper, racking her mind if she knew her or if the name would trigger the bell. Still, t no idea came out. 

Where is she? She added another question on her list.

Moving back to the cabin, her tummy grumbled. She needed something to eat, and she rummaged in the cabinet and cupboards of the small kitchen. Which has nothing edible stored?

Then her eyes landed on an odd-looking chest. Nevertheless, she opened it and there a box popped on her vision.

[ Food Chest ]

She read, and the food where aligned in the grid. She touched one corn soup, and it appeared on her palm.

"Now, this is interesting!" She gladly squealed. She can't contain her hunger anymore and touched another item, this time it was a roasted whole chicken.

Like the soup it also appeared on her palm and she closed the chest, exiting the grid. Looking back at the cupboards, she took the knife and dining essentials. She cut the roast chicken in half as she can't finish them all. 

And she begins to eat like a pig. After filling her stomach she looked around for more clues when she saw bow accessories, another stash of arrows and gowns with similar designs with hers. 

"What is this? Is there another archer? Are they mistaking me for someone?"