Niko

by Kayti Nika Raet

  ***

  The twunk and hiss of crossbows being fired filled the air around her and the room grew warm from the heat of active bodies. Niko kept her crossbow pointed toward the ground as she slipped her foot into the stirrup.

  She’d asked Ari to teach her how to use the crossbow--- or rather Ari had offered with a scream of horror when she found Niko in the weapons room attempting to learn on her own.

  Repetition had obviously made Ari a master of the weapon, her sighting a release was smooth and accurate and she had shortened her reload time considerably. Now that they weren’t in the midst of an attack Niko understood why everyone in the Circle didn’t carry one, no matter how fast Ari, Duc or Malik reloaded, a Slither would always be faster. Crossbows were good for distance, she and Ben were good for speed.

  “Okay,” Ari said hovering beside her. “Grab the string with both hands and draw it back. Evenly, evenly.” She stressed. “Now slip it under the keeper spring here.”

  Malik and Duc had come into the room later but Duc virtually ignored them firing bolt after bolt into a human shaped target. But Malik was unable to do the same and he kept glancing over to check her progress or offer pieces of advice--- mostly reminding her to keep her fingers away from the string.

  She slid her hand down the stock and picked up the bow then she selected a bolt and following Ari’s instructions made sure it was right up against the string. Ari gave her work a quick once over before nodding her approval.

  Niko let the stock rest against her shoulder. Malik lowered his own weapon to watch and even Duc spared a glance in her direction. She ignored them both sighting down the stock and aiming at one of the markings Ari had painted on the dummy.

  In almost every way it was made to look like a Slither, a Slither that was defanged and declawed and perfectly content to stand still and be peppered with arrows.

  Niko smiled and released the bolt barely registering the small sting when the butt of the crossbow recoiled against her shoulder.

  Her smile grew as she saw the arrow protruding out of the dummy’s chest. It was a perfect shot. Ari applauded.

  “Pretty good for a newbie.”

  Niko whirled around. Ben leaned in the open doorway. He carried a sword in his hand, a thin blade sheathed in black. “The real question is,” He said as he stepped into the room and headed toward their small group. “Can she do it again?”

  “I think so.” Niko said.

  He scratched at his temple with the hilt of his sword. “I think so too.” Then he moved away from them to an empty corner of the room where he settled into a stance and began to practice his forms. Niko stared at him in confusion. Was that supposed to be a challenge?

  Ari nudged her with her elbow. “Ben’s really good with the crossbow.” She whispered. “Obscenely good, his first three shots were perfect.”

  Niko reloaded her crossbow. “If he’s so great why does he use a blade?” She whispered back but it wasn’t low enough to escape Ben’s notice.

  “It’s a contact thing.” He answered. “I prefer the bite and resistance of sharp metal against monster flesh over the sanitized thrill of a bolt in the gut.” He glanced over at her. “I thought that’s how you felt too. Team Sword is sorry to lose a member.”

  She understood what he meant, even though it was a simplistic weapon, almost primitive, she missed the weight of a bat in her hand.

  She hefted the crossbow to her shoulder. “Becoming well-rounded does not mean I’ve left the team.” She sighted and squeezed. “It just makes me a better fighter.”

  Her second arrow hit the target as well. Perfect shot.

  Ben eyed it. She was one shot away from meeting his record. “Good.” He said. “I won’t have to throw away that nice little membership card I made.”

  Niko spanned the bow for a third time. Her fingertips burned slightly from the press of string against skin.

  As she raised the crossbow Ben lowered his sword to watch her, in fact everyone in the room was and Niko found she rather enjoyed the attention.

  Twunk.

  The arrow shot forward. Flung from the bow it flew toward the target and drove itself deep into the dummy.

  Niko tossed Ben a smile. Three.