“I have an idea,” Max declared. He stepped forward and grabbed her hair, startling the elf with a yelp as he yanked out the bands in her pigtails.
“What are you doing? Stop!” Grace cried out, trying to swat him away as he pulled her hair free and tossed aside the strings. He reached over for a nearby arrow on the ground while the elf dropped to her knees with a whine as she held onto her head.
“No can do,” Max factually stated, picking up the bolt. “Your fixation on becoming just like Clover is holding you back. It’s set unrealistic goals for you and they’re only frustrating you the more you try to meet them, and that needs to stop. It’s time for the real Grace to take aim and step out of the mighty Clover’s shadow.”
He turned and started to hand the bolt to Grace before suddenly stopping, his eyes going wide as the words he was about to say got stuck in his throat. Sitting on her knees before him was Grace, the elf looking up at him with timid eyes while her hair was freely hanging down to her shoulders. Her ears stuck out from the sides of her locks while a small breeze gently blew them around her cheeks and forehead as she stared at him with unblinking eyes that conveyed not a sense of malice or anger but instead appeared innocent and helpless.
“W… wow,” Max quietly said.
“Wow? Wow what?” Grace fretted, quickly grabbing her hair and tugging it down. “What’s wrong? Why are you looking at me like that? Dammit, I hate having my hair down like this. I never keep it like this anymore.”
“I’m sorry,” Max quickly said with an awkward smile. “Sorry, I… I just wasn’t expecting… I mean you look…”
“I look like what? What’s so funny?” Grace demanded with a blush.
“Nothing’s funny,” Max insisted, taking a moment to eye over the elf who now appeared drastically different with her hair down and a more serene, yet embarrassed, look to her. Max faltered his words while Grace keenly observed him and listened for his answer, which he finally managed to give after regaining his senses and surprised the young elf even further.
“It’s just… you look really cute like that.”
Chapter 11
A Little Chill in the Air
In the world of Eden, odd things could occur now and again, and not just because this was a world filled with magic and monstergirls. Unexpected happenings, amazing coincidences, once in a lifetime opportunities, sudden changes in personality without warning; it was always difficult to see these strange events coming or prepare for them. Sometimes they would be pleasant surprises, others may be dangerous reveals, and some might even be enjoyable revelations. These rare moments when things just seem so strange, surreal, or impossible by normal standards, they would often be spoken of as unique and remarkable tales later on.
Provided of course they lived to tell the story afterwards.
*****
Slowly she calmed her mind, her breathing becoming peaceful while her eight eyes were closed as she focused on relaxing her body. Her hands were held down at her sides, a strange yet familiar feeling drifting across her fingertips. The wind gently blew against her, the sensation of it tugging at her hair before allowing it to fall onto her back being felt as she became attuned to her surroundings. And not just her normal surroundings as she stood in the middle of a square within Shadow’s Refuge, but also what else encircled her in the unseen to most.
‘I can feel it…’ Bermuda thought to herself. ‘The ether… the magical current… it’s all around me, and at the same time it’s flowing right through me.’
Slowly she lifted her hands, turning them upright and focusing on what lay atop them. Not the air, nor the sunlight, but rather the current of something else that was just within reach. It drifted between her fingers, through her palms, and traipsed over her long nails. It was the ether itself, the source of all magic in Eden, and something that Bermuda was well acquainted with.
‘Heed your father’s advice. Grasp not the power you know to be around you, but instead the power flowing within you. Harness it. Control it. Direct it. Use it to guide your will and make it real.’
The wind began to grow around the arachne, her hair and shawl fluttering in the current as wisps of violet light began circling her in the air. She could feel it, she could almost see it; a vast ocean of energy swirling around her, crashing and roaring amongst itself with the power of the gods yet at the same time offering its wisdom and ability to shape her desires with the essence of magic itself. However it was the flowing river of the ether which passed through her that she instead focused on. It was coursing through her like lightning, blowing strong around her soul like a tornado, thundering against her body like a raging storm. The more she focused on it, the closer she felt to matching her father in the ways of spellcasting. Her determination to become a sorceress from his teachings burned ever brighter, her resolve to master the art of elemental powers and creation that she had been taught remaining adamant as always.
She was going to succeed with this lesson, she knew it to be true. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that this was her destiny; to become a sorceress and make her father proud. She would master her craft, she would forge the way for future scholars, she would grasp untold reaches of what magic could really do in the hands of a skilled spellcaster. She would-
“Bermuda?” VelRyan called out. Bermuda hopped with a startle and opened her eyes, the young girl quickly looking around before seeing her father further ahead under a nearby awning. The man was watching her with an entertained smile, his cape fluttering wildly while behind him was Lelu, the centaur showing a fearful smile towards Bermuda while her hair was also caught in the flowing winds.
“Father?” Bermuda asked.
“You’re doing well, Bermuda. But if you could just ease up a little with what you’re doing, that would be great.”
“What do you mean?” Bermuda asked, showing an innocent expression towards him. She blinked then finally noticed what her father and Lelu were seeing. The arachne looked to her hands then showed a weak smile as she realized what she had conjured; two large spherical vortexes of dark and violet light, screaming gales being siphoned into the swirling balls of energy, electrical bolts snapping around the magical balls and zapping the ground around her, and a colossal whirlwind that had grown to fill the entire courtyard with the strength of a violent twister. The gardens nearby were torn bare by the searing winds while debris was flying around in dangerous volleys within the fierce storm. Atop the ramparts a few harpies and watchers were observing the display with heightened alarm while more were seen quickly scurrying away from the courtyard in fright.
“Oh,” Bermuda sighed. “I’m doing it again, aren’t I?”
“She’s not going to kill us, right?” Lelu whined, holding onto VelRyan tightly and hiding behind him the best she could. “For god’s sake, I thought this was a lesson on self-control. Look at the size of those things!”
“Now now, we’ll be perfectly fine, Lelu,” VelRyan assured, gently patting her head. “Bermuda? Please try to recall some of the magic you have summoned. This is a bit more than you needed to create, and Lelu is feeling a little frightened right now. It’s okay, you just conjured more than you realized… again. Simply relax and slowly release the power from your mind. Gently let it go and calm yourself again.”
Bermuda stared at him with a blank look while the screaming balls of compressed lightning and wind wildly pulsated above her hands. She looked to one then the other while thinking about what her father said, a curious look coming over her as she eyed over the unstable elemental magic she now wielded while not showing any real concern about the sheer amount of dangerous magic she had conjured within her own home.
“It’s alright, dear,” VelRyan called out. “Just slowly recall the magic in your mind and dissolve what you’ve created. You can do it.”
Bermuda closed her eyes and took a steady breath, relaxing her body and mind as she lifted her hands up. The swirling balls of storm and destruction rumbled with unstable energy while the scream
ing winds rushing into and around them continued strong.
“It’s okay, Bermuda,” she told herself. “You can do this. Just let the power go. Let the power go.”
She lightly flinched her hands while trying to recall the immense amount of magic she had summoned, focusing with her mind on slowly releasing the raging currents of magical energy she had drawn into her spell. With a flick of her wrist being made she then blasted the two howling orbs of energy straight up into the air. Bermuda jumped with a yelp and quickly looked up, seeing her magical creations shooting upward while trailing wild currents of violet light and electrical ribbons.
“Um… whoops. I… let them go.”
“Wow,” Lelu breathed out, staring in awe at the magical projectiles streaking high into the air. After a while of swirling around each other the orbs collided, exploding into a nightmarish storm of lightning, dark clouds, howling whirlwinds, and roaring thunder that heavily shook the compound beneath it. Screams were heard throughout Shadow’s Refuge while many outside were struck with unexpected heavy winds and lightning strikes zapping down around them. The harpies atop the ramparts quickly ducked low while the cloaked watchers held out their arms and erected multiple casting rings of yellow and pink light that blocked some of the powerful bolts of electricity that seared towards the monastery.
Lelu was cowering behind VelRyan with a frightful whine, using his cape to hide under while the man was slowly shaking his head with a quiet sigh at his daughter. Bermuda watched the gigantic storm she unleashed into the air with a worried frown before she turned to her father, the young girl then smiling nervously and shrugging with a small giggle.
“Sorry.”
“It’s alright dear. Accidents happen. Let’s try it again, shall we?”
“Does she have to?” Lelu fearfully asked, trembling under his cape.
The large explosion of energy and raging storms above the sanctuary caught the attention of nearly everyone there, with some panicking and fearing the end any moment now while others were slowly getting used to such outbursts that they had a good hunch as to who was causing that day. However there were two in Shadow’s Refuge who paid no mind to the deadly burst of lightning and dark energy that exploded high above them just then, rather they were more focused on something else that both of them were more surprised by.
“W-W-What did you just say?” Grace cried out with a deep blush.
“I just said you were cute!” Max exclaimed, backing up and holding out his hands nervously as the elf was both snarling at him and appearing like she was ready to cry. “That’s all! It was just a compliment. I just meant you were… I mean you’re not normally… I mean you are, I think, but… um…”
“Just spit out it! What the fuck are you trying to say?”
“I was just saying you look cute, that’s it!” Max insisted. “I’m not trying to make you upset or anger you, I was just giving you a compliment. That’s all, I swear.”
Grace trembled with a shaky growl, seeming to be stuck between berating the boy for saying such a thing or being embarrassed for the same reason. Looking down and away she shook her head and sharply waved him off.
“Just… shut up and go collect my arrows! And stop lying to my face like that or I’ll kick your fucking teeth in!”
“I’m sorry,” Max defended, stepping back. He turned to go fetch the many arrows scattered across the court before glancing back to see the elf watching him from under her bangs. “I didn’t mean to upset you. And… I wasn’t lying to you, Grace.”
“I’m not cute,” she argued in a fluster. “Don’t call me that again.”
“Okay, I won’t call you that anymore if you don’t like it. I’m sorry, Grace.”
She merely waved him off before looking away, with the boy walking off and questioning what made him blurt out such a thing to her in the first place.
“Calling me cute,” Grace grumbled. “Like I’m some kind of prissy little bitch or something. I ought to knock out his teeth for saying something so stupid. Fucking idiot.”
She slowly got back to her feet and mumbled to herself while feeling her hair resting atop her shoulder. Glancing over to the side she saw Max collecting the arrows into a bundle, the boy once again showing remarkable patience with her and obediently doing as she told him. Grace brushed the hair around her ear while watching the boy with a confused scowl, the elf then slowly looking over at the arrows she had managed to land on the target thanks to him. Another large blast of lightning and thunder exploded in a nearby courtyard, shaking the compound while more screams were heard near it. This time Max took notice, nearly dropping all the arrows he had collected as he quickly looked around in a startle. Grace, however, was still focusing on what just happened, both with her success in hitting the target and earning such a compliment from the boy who she treated like dirt.
“What was that?” Max worried as he started panicking. “Are we under attack or something? Oh shoot, what’s happening this time?”
“Don’t worry, child,” a harpy called out from above. “It’s just Bermuda practicing her magic.”
“Some caution is recommended,” a nearby cloaked watcher corrected her. “To not worry at all right now would be unwise.”
“That was Bermuda?” Max wondered. “That must have been a big spell she cast. Wow. Kind of wish I could have seen it.”
Shaking his head with a sigh he resumed collecting Grace’s arrows, gathering an armful of them before he headed over to where Grace was still staring at the target in deep thought.
“Um, Grace?” Max asked as he began setting the arrows in her quiver. “Would it be alright if I took a small break to see how Bermuda is doing? I’m kind of curious how-”
“Get them all, Max,” Grace ordered without a fleeting glance. Max paused as he moped over her response, the boy then trudging back out into the courtyard in silence. Grace looked at her bow for a moment before eyeing Max with a raised eyebrow, watching as he did as she requested while showing obvious remorse that he was stuck with his promise. After two trips to gather all the arrows, Max had filled Grace’s quiver and was standing aside with a downtrodden expression on his face.
Grace carefully eyed the target further ahead of her before turning to Max with a sharp glare, something that hopped the boy to attention as she stared deeply into his eyes.
“How long did it take your sister to get good enough that she removed the lock on her repeater?” she quizzed him.
“Mae? Well… I think it took her a few months before she felt confident enough to-”
“A few months?” Grace shouted. “I can’t wait that long to get better! I need to improve my skills right now!”
“I’m sorry, but it takes time to perfect things like this,” Max reasoned with a shrug.
“My people are being oppressed by The Sisterhood, they don’t have a few months,” Grace argued. “If I’m going to have any chance at saving them then I need to get better with my archery now. There has to be a way to speed this up. What else did your sister do to train herself?”
“What else? Um, let’s see…” Max pondered, scratching his head and looking down in thought. After a while he snapped his fingers and nodded at the elf. “Well, she was very critical of her own progress with becoming a skilled sharpshooter. Kind of like how you are right now. She wanted to get better fast, but she also knew she had to discipline herself to properly push herself farther with her training.”
“Discipline herself? How did she do that?”
“When she was first learning to shoot her repeater, she made a rule for herself,” Max explained. “For every shot she missed, she would punish herself. This helped her focus more intently on making every shot as she wanted to avoid what would happen if she didn’t.”
“How did she punish herself?” Grace wondered.
“She chose an extreme method,” Max admitted shaking his head. “For every shot she missed, she whipped herself with a crop. It was like she was spanking herself for each failure she mad
e.”
“She whipped herself?” Grace softly repeated in awe. “Wow. She really didn’t accept failure either, did she?”
“She didn’t do it all the time,” Max reasoned with a weak smile. “But during her serious practice sessions she did it to push herself to her limits. At first she always came home with a sore butt and bruises on her thighs, something my sisters were quick to poke fun at. But she never gave up or went easy on herself, and she became much sharper with her shots soon after. She taught herself to make every shot count, as if her rear depended on it. Because, well, it did. And it worked too.”
“I see,” Grace mused, looking down. “She used the looming threat of pain and embarrassment to push herself to greater heights. I wonder if Clover ever used such methods in her training.”
“The point is she focused on perfecting her accuracy with just one arrow by any means she could,” Max told her. “She learned to make every shot count, Grace. After she became comfortable with being an amazing archer with one arrow, she moved on to firing multiple arrows with the lock removed. She still had to practice to perfect it, but she quickly got the hang of it and became an excellent sharpshooter who could fire one or several arrows with incredible accuracy.”
“So what you’re saying is I need to push myself to perfect firing just one arrow first,” Grace clarified with a curious eye on him. “And then I can make the jump to firing multiple arrows later on with better accuracy.”
“Exactly,” Max agreed with a smile.
“That just might be crazy enough to work,” Grace mused, looking over to the target while thinking carefully. “Clover makes all of her shots count. She never misses. If I ever hope to be as good as her, I need to do the same. I need to push myself to making every one of my shots count.”
Chronicles of Eden - Season II - Act II Page 34