A few months has passed throughout the country Devandia as it had witness many incidents of it's own. As it had witness from the north of grueling winters, and the south being more devastated, but the west and east are still thriving as most recently the east was saved earlier. While the west had nothing to do with any threats, though the country still thrives.
But towards the capital of Alvera the city itself witnessing the village thriving as it too had witness it's own incidents. However nowadays it leaves no traces of the incident from the former great wizard Handikiz. As in the castle palace the home of King Zinch ruler of Alvera, as in one of the rooms of a big palace, Ralian Thorner is seen, reading through tons of books doing her own research on herself, her people the Druids and more about the world of Devandia.
From in her own room it is filled with many books read, as well with many diaries she wrote during her time living in Alvera. But gets message scrolls from people she can consider friends nowadays, though some are unread as she still as some resentment from her first friend. Still cannot trust them, but is slowly reading their scrolls time to time around a month, just to know how her old party is doing as she hasn't adventure out of Alvera in months.
While Ralian was in deep thought reading through almost half of the books she had read from the many categories of other species, her people, from the stuff she encountered before, and magic. But then from the latest book she is reading that holds information about some sort of secrets of magic, she suddenly hears knocking. "Hey Ralian, it's me Dani I need your advice."
Hearing the voice of her friend, Ralian closed her book and headed to the front door to greet Captain Dani Vixen but has to look down for a moment. "Captain Dani, do you need something I was almost done reading this latest book that was on shelves"
"I do apologize for the sudden intrusion, but I do indeed need your assistance. You see my liege asked me kindly to train a squad of archers about formations and precise aim. But I know I don't like fighting with bows and arrows, and you were the person who's skilled with bows and arrows thus I need your assistance"
"Of course Dani, I do need to get some sunlight once and a while let me get prepared first". Ralian closes the door and puts on her tunic and grabs her quiver of arrow along with her bow and heads outside her room where Dani is waiting for her as they both head down the hallway.
"So its been a few months and I've been meaning to ask how's life here"
"Besides this tunic for dress code, and that height of yours everything is alright"
"Hey there's no need to be rude at my height, sure I may be short than all our friends, but that's not the point. But the dress code you speak of can be an issue, but we don't want people to worry about a Druid in the castle"
Ralian chuckled a bit, "sure no one would suspect the person with pointy ears, and the antlers is actually a Druid"
"Still trying to sense my humour. Well Jin always knows my type of humour, Venny would try but his is more about pain if you get what I'm saying"
"He would purpose damage himself in odd ways to get a laugh?"
"You can say that, as it does work both ways if you get what I'm saying." Dani started to hum happily.
"Never mind, but speaking of which, how are these new initiatives for archers who are they"
She stopped humming and looked at Ralian almost confused. "You want to know their names?"
"One might say that, though it is nice to know people's names when I'm the one instructing them is that alright with you Captain"
"Alright, well there's Morris Finley, Bill Linion, Loks Manley, Quinn Feest, and Chuck"
"Okay then there will be many more"
"Yes, though we do have some experience archers here, but most are out in field along with other archers, and you were the best pick"
"Of course" Ralian sighed.
They continued to walk down the hallway then down the stairs passing by many paintings of King Zinch as they made their way towards the training grounds only from the right in the castle. Ralian witnessed all the new initiates who are willing to become archers as most are decent but were not able to hit the red dot in the middle of the target. Seeing their incompetence speaking more volume, Ralian then grabs her bow and a couple of arrows and goes beside the new initiates firing a few arrows hitting the red dot five times that surprises the others.
"You are doing it wrong, you need to have a good posture, and make sure your elbow is on your ear to get the full force and elasticity from your arrow"
"Who's the new chick with the antlers" one of them asked as they suddenly chuckled, jokingly laughing at Ralian.
She sighed at their immaturity as she then grabs a staff and slams it creating a slight rumble getting the others attention. "I'm your new instructor, added my Captain Dani"
"oh yeah, you think by just showing us your fancy tricks you think your better than us"
"Hey Morris lay it off didn't you see her in action she's amazing"
"Quite Bill, we don't need her"
Ralian observe Morris's target with the black colouring as they each had their own colour. Red for Bill, green for Chuck, gray for Loks, green for Quinn, and Morris was black. As she sees out of five arrows only one made a hit but it's outside the black circle, noting he's the more aggressive than her new students. "and it feels to me that your accuracy is off" Ralian chuckles "let me show you the basics." Then with a wave of her hand the grass pulls the arrows out from the ground and carry the arrows towards her as well plucking the arrows out of the targets.
But as she looked at her new student's their expression were filled with fear as they were freaked out by the sudden grass moving. "How did you do that?" "what the heck was that!?" "I am not being a student if your going to do that." They all asking questions filled with disgust and mistrust towards Ralian.
"I will let you learn more about me sooner, but please observe" as the targets align themselves in a horizontal line as Ralian begin to show step by step of holding a bow and arrow. First starting with posture keeping her back straight and her legs in a short stance, and when she lifts her bow extending the string her elbow is above her ears and the arrow on the string extended and as she lets go she aims perfectly onto the center of the target hitting the red dot once again.
"Lucky shot" Morris in disbelief.
Ralian smirks as she grabs two more arrows as fires them perfectly into the center of the target even breaking the first arrow. "You want to know why I was asked to help you all. It's because I know something called experience, as I was a seasoned adventurer, being a part of a group covering each others backside and I was the lookout" Ralian explaining all about her group and how they covered each others blind spots from her former friend Yamma and the person that is an example not to be trusted Hazard, with the newest member Jin-Sae Akaumo and her friend that has been with her from the start and is also the leader Gale Night.
Some of the new recruits were amazed by her adventures but one was still in disbelief "oh yeah if these are your so called friends where they"
"Isn't it obvious they are still out in the world doing their own thing adventuring, helping others, and on occasion do some bounties..." but then a silence suddenly struck onto Ralian. "but sometimes I do miss being out there in the open with a group who can care for another. I'm just hoping they're doing okay without me". Ralian look above the sky.
Then Venny Lensharth walks in arms crossed and seems to have a new left arm approaching the two "so how's it going Ralian doing fine with the newbies"
"All good Venny, but is your new arm doing okay it's been a month since you last used it"
Venny chuckled, "listen I know that I'm supposed to be wearing my prosthetic, but I do wanted my arm back, just holds back my limitations. But on the bright side I was able to figure out that there is more than just enhancing myself or sealing my own wounds."
Ralian chuckles back, "then I hope to see Jin's face with your new arm" Dani crossing her arms as she gives a stern look at him.
"Dani, I ain't going to pull that stunt again, it was only once in a lifetime. I don't see you have any conflicts with Gale, or Ezrael". The three have a great talk with one another while the new people who want to be archers just watch them across the shooting range. But then from a pond that was made months ago as the water in the pond began to shimmer and glow brightly as bubbles began to form.
(end of chapter 41)