Smashing all the liquor onto the floor, flipping the tables, Nathaniel screams furiously at Titania. Crimson Red rushes to her face, as streams of waterfalls streamed down her face the isolation and grievance had rushed back, this was worse than before. She had to find a way out, she escaped through the window ran until the kingdom was just a faint light. Titania then got onto the back of a farmer’s cart and let fate decide her future.
What have I done to deserve this.
The nurse secured the cold cuffs onto her wrists, restricting any movement.
She began viciously shaking her body. The friction from the cuffs rubbed her wrists raw.
Finally, Titania began relaxing, THUD THUD faint treacherous sounds of screams filled the tunnels. The room went black, only a red button faintly glowing. Out from the shadows an old man, the same old man she had seen in the city.
12 hours earlier
Making a wrong turn already, the white wash enchanted buildings transformed into grey tattered sidings. The sound of coughs and screaming filled through the city, Titania’s dreams had somewhat dwindled. She has forgot about the poverty and crime of her old life. A loud bang sounded her, quickly she pulled her arrow from her satchel and stood at ready position. Another arrow was shot, crimson red trickled down her neck. The once sleek silver hair by her ear soon was dull and rust colored. “who shot that, if you are not a coward then claim your arrow!” A man of age hobbled down from the top of a building.
A small rodent like creature scampered past the two, before she could answer the old man grabbed the rat and shoved it down his throat. Disgust and fear all over her face, she then ran down the closest ally. Soon the city’s ruckus was no longer heard, the faint smell of fresh bread gone. Soon a group of people with dark hoods surrounded Titania, her legs began to move, barely making it a block a sharp pain shocked her whole body causing every part of her to stop walking. There her body laid limp and useless.
Present
Unlocking the cuffs quickly the old man grabs Titania and escapes the scene
“Get off me! Why are you helping me?”
“Be quiet” he demanded
“Why did they take me?”
Before Titania could open her mouth, she realized that they were running towards a stone wall. She tried yelling as loud as possible, but her body had forgotten how to yell. Then everything went black.
Where am I? Was that all a dream?
“How are you feeling”
“GET AWAY FROM ME!! WHAT DID YOU DO?”
“I saved your life, if I would not have risked my life for you the darkness would have made you a slave.”
“The darkness what are you talking about?”
“I cannot tell you anymore.”
A loud ringing filled her ears, with no memory of the night before Titania opened her eyes there in front of her was the same old man.
“Here I brought you eggs”
She acted as if she did not hear him and began looking around the house curiously. The wood around the house was warped. The house was mostly empty with just a table, chairs, and a small kitchenette Titania turned back to look at the man and shook her head in refusal.
“Why did you bring me here?”
“I see potential in you, you could be the next best archer of Elantris, but you must work hard and trust that all of the things I ask you to do are beneficial.”
“You do not even know me” she then marched out of the cottage
“That’s an interesting scar on your neck, did your ex-husband give you that?”
Titania glanced over her shoulder, the two’s eyes met.
[03]
“How did you know?’ she questioned, facing her body back towards the house.
“I’ve been watching you Titania, I can teach you many things about the art of archery, but you have great potential bur you have to trust me.”
“Ok, if you can show me something I don’t know about archery.”
Within a blink he was up on the top of a large spruce. She looked up at him in awe. Her instincts were good, she trusted him.
“Fine, I trust you.” Titania boldly stated.
“I knew you would come around, but if you choose to stay here and train with me you must follow ground rules. First rule of business, you must believe in yourself and everything you do. Without courage and confidence, you will never succeed as a person or a warrior. Second, you must do everything I say. Finally, never second guess yourself, your instincts are always right. Your training will begin tomorrow.”
Titania slipped out of her blue dress, she then slipped into a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. That night she dreamt of her old life when she was beaten and felt worthless. Tears filled her eyes as she woke up to the loud sound of a trumpet.
“Arise, you will begin your day by taking the rice sacks down to the chicken coop.”
She bent down, and through the ten-pound bags over her shoulder and began to walk. The coop could not be seen by the naked eye. Already her the strain from the weight caused her muscles to ache. The sensation of the bag on her shoulder could no longer be felt. As she approached the coop the birds flocked at her arrival. She poured the rice onto the dirt, as the rice poured out her pain was lessened. In the corner of her eye she spotted a large rock, she dragged herself to the rock where she then sprawled out and began to fall into a deep slumber. Abruptly, she was awoken with an icy cold bucket of water. Her eyelids just barely parted, when the sun was blocked with a large mass.
“Sleeping on the job?” he scoffed
“Do you have no discipline? Laziness will get you nowhere.”
“But those bags were so heavy, I I was just taking a break.”
“No excuses. Now would you like to show me just how much you know about archery?” The mentor asked but told.
Titania abruptly forced herself off the rock. She ran into the house and quickly slipped off her dirty, smelly clothes. Quickly, she braided her hair, then slipped into an all-black tight suit. It was handmade exactly to her measurements all leather. Then, she threw on her cape her arrows around her back and grabbed her bow.
“Follow me.” The mentor stated.
From the house the two headed towards the woods, time passed quickly as they walked Titania found herself in the woods. As they passed a large oak tree the two ran into a brick wall.
“Well how are we going to get past this wall?” she sarcastically remarked.
“Look closer” he said
With his right hand he placed it on the stone wall, “Vasmatos trellium” he stated
Slowly the wall began to part the two were now in what seemed like another world. The stone behind them quickly closed. Immediately her eyes were overwhelmed by the course, the place was lined with concrete walls, which were shaped in a maze. Arrows and suits that had been enchanted lined the far-right corner. Suddenly Titania could no longer move her feet, the machine then scanned her body with a cool blue liquid it smelled like fresh linens. In harmony the speakers announced, “Welcome to the Evlyn, we have built this obstacle course for archers who think they were chosen by Nira herself. This course will test you both mentally and physically. Every day the obstacle course will change, your objective for today is to learn how to use your alter vision, to spot creatures who can only be seen by your second vision. She then gained her use of feet back. The green bushes turned to steel walls, the quiet of the room was almost deadly. An arrow was shot across straight between her eyes, instinctively she leaned back and dodged the arrow. Confusion wiped plainly across her face before she could open her mouth a large bear like creature quickly began to charge towards her. She ran up the side of the wall and quickly drew her arrow, the arrow hit the bear in shoulder. The bear was not phased, he opened his jaw and his sharp teeth ripped the flesh of Titania. She let out a great howl of agony quickly she stabbed the bear in the eye with an arrow then shot him in the heart. She then lay over the bears corpse heaving and breathing heavily. The loud speaker came back on the walls changed back to gorgeous bushes
“congratulations Titania, you have defeated the level one cog. Take this as a reward for your hard work.”
As she looked up a light opened up in the sky, slowly a golden arrow floated down to her. She limped to it and grabbed it. Engraved on the handle said, “Take this child on all your hard journeys, I am with you always –Nira.”