Black Mist

by Michael Sisa

  Buzzing sounds filled the air when the contestants realized that Dan was a contender. No matter how they looked at it, the child was too young to enter such competition.

  “The child Jasik mentioned. So there’s really a child that entered, eh?” the man said. He stroked his black beard and smirked. “Might be fun?” He glanced towards Dan. “Yeah, kid. This thing’s an annual competition. The grand price is six Wys, right? That’s pocket change when compared to the gamble of those nobles. Last year, the pot money went up to ninety Wys.”

  Dan’s eyes glimmered for a second after the utterance of the pot money. “Then, can I join in the gamble?”

  The man raised a brow after the child’s remark. “Sure. Everyone can join as long as they have the money. Hey—” He glanced left and right as if affirming his suspicions. “You’re not some great noble’s son, right? I don’t want your daddy to come enraged at me for permitting you to join such thing.”

  “No, just a commoner.” Dan pulled out four Wys from his pocket. He purposely left three Wys coins inside his pocket. He did not want to gamble everything in one go. “This will be the amount I’ll be betting.”

  The buzzing sounds further intensified the moment the child pulled out the Wys coins. The amount was not meager. The man before Dan immediately grabbed the coins and hushed, “Hey kid! Where did you get this money from? If the traders from the black market sees you—” He groaned. “They’ll kill you! Those guys are not humans! They won’t care if you’re a child or not!”

  “Rest assured, I didn’t steal it,” Dan calmly said. He had no intention of letting such a large opportunity pass by. He tucked at the back of his mind the words ‘black market.’ He had never heard of such underground organization present in the city before. “I’ll join the bets. I stake on myself to win the tournament. All four Wys coins. That’s final.”

  “Hey kid! You think this tournament’s a joke?!”

  “This brat doesn’t respect the art of archery!”

  “Probably some noble’s son, eh? Damn brat!”

  The other contestants were in uproar. They felt that Dan did not deserve to join such competition. Dan paid the rude remarks no heed. He stared directly into the facilitator’s eyes as he awaited the man’s answer.

  After a long paused accompanied by rude outbursts as background, the facilitator sighed and shrugged. “Your money, not mine. Do what you want, kid. I’ll list you down as one of the contestants in the stakes.” He turned towards the infuriated contestants. “What’s the fuss about? The kid has money. He has the right to play in the stakes.”

  His words completely shut down the lips of those present. With a forced smile, he said to Dan, “You’re participating in the first elimination round. Go.”

  With those words, Dan left the contestants’ room and went towards the small arena.

  ***

  “And now! The first round of the competition starts! Oh, before that, let me give thanks to the sponsor of this event—the Roshaila Family!” a man wearing a loose robe with bronze engravings spoke. His skin was fair and was filled with spiral marks that crept till his neck. His nose had three piercings made of silver. Dark marks encircled his droopy eyes. The crowd applauded after the commentator’s introduction. A man in his late fifties stood up from the front row. He waived his hand thrice then resumed sitting.

  The arena was spherical, and numerous seats encircled it in array. The stadium itself was polished, and an orb that hovered above illuminated it a hazel hue. The entire arena was jammed full of spectators, and most were wearing above-average garbs that bespoke of their statuses.

  “And noooow! Contestants—ENTER!”

  The crowd’s applause intensified after the remark. Cheers filled the air as dozens of people appeared from the left wing of the arena. They all held wooden bows on their hands. At their backs were the arrows that were to be used for the competition.

  “For the first part of the competition, we’ll hold an elimination round! The contestants shall be grouped into twenties, and from that group, only those that passed the test will be chosen to advance to the next round!” He clapped his hand twice, and the curtains that previously veiled the targets for the competition was revealed. The crowd gasped as they saw the greenish creatures that desperately squirmed about. They were held by large chains at their bosoms.

  “Goblins! These creatures are the nastiest of the beasts! The lowliest of monsters! We’ve procured these things after the Grand Magician, Uliek, conquered the Albazda Labyrinth!” He breathed in a large gulp of air and further intensified his voice. “We’ll be placing a fruit directly on top of the monster’s head! Those that successfully hit the fruit without injuring the goblins will advance to the next round!”

  The goblins began screeching as the fruits were placed on top of their heads. It was strapped as to not fall off. Upon staring, the contestants soon realized that the fruits were around three times the size of a marble. It was a very tiny mark to hit.

  “The beauty of this competition is that even if the competitors miss their marks, the goblins will surely be inflicted,” he pinched his nose and snorted. “with some—injuries~.”

  The crowd cheered and the ground slightly rumbled. Everyone was ecstatic of the twist in the current competition. He commentator opened his arms wide and snuffed the air. “As usual, the stakes will start the moment the elimination round starts! Anyone can bid! The Roshaila Family shall be the banker! They’ve boldly declared to take on any bids!”

  Another series of thunderous cheers echoed. The commentator grinned from ear to ear as if savoring the euphoria. He said, “Let the first round begin!”

  The sound of a gong was heard, and afterwards, the contestants assumed their positions. They were around twenty meters away from their marks. The crowd began to take notice of the child amidst the adults.

  “A child?”

  “Hey, seriously? He’s holding a bow!”

  Murmurs filled the area as Dan pulled out an arrow from his back. He then rubbed his wooden bow as though getting a feel off it. The grand price of the competition was superficial; the real price was from the stakes.

  The commentator did not miss such intriguing topic and immediately announced, “Yes, that’s right! Ladies and gents—a child entered the competition this year! Guess what? A reliable source told me that he had staked on himself to win the competition! He staked four Wys on himself!” His voice was delivered with blatant hint of mockery. The audience snorted in response and made incessant remarks.

  ‘So noisy,’ Dan thought. He found the jeers irritating. Still, he paid it no heed. To him, it was a waste of time to retort against such childish remarks. He was more than confident of winning the competition. Archery was an art that utilized accuracy and precision. It did not have the need for him to have his previous body’s prowess. As long as he was able to pull the string of the bow with enough strength, he was confident that he’ll hit his mark perfectly. That much, he was sure.

  The other contestants took their turns firing their arrows. Each of them was given three attempts, and the scores were based on how close the arrows landed from its target. If it hits the fruits, then a perfect score was given. By the time Dan got his turn, most of the goblins displayed were with filled with barrages of arrows. Green bloods oozed out their wounds, and their previous violent squirming and screeching died down. They looked at Dan with resigned eyes. Just from their gaze alone, one was able to depict the words, “A child’s next? Damn. Just my luck. Another arrow’s gonna strike my body.”

  Dan pulled the string of his bow and gripped the rear of the arrow. After pulling it with enough force, he placed his left foot forward, and his slightly bent his head to his back. With his elbows lightly elevated, he released the loaded arrow. Everyone that saw his stance jeered and mocked. His stance was definitely outside the norm. It was a stance that depicted someone that knew nothing of archery. Unbeknownst to them, the peculiar stance was due to Dan’s lack of strength on his arms. He di
d it in order to ensure the accuracy of his arrow. The appearance of the wielder did not matter. What mattered was the result. It was one of the basics in a battlefield.

  The arrow whizzed by in a straight line. The force behind it was not great, but even from a single glance, everyone was able to discern the absurdly smooth flow it had as it traversed the mere twenty meters that separated it from its target. Another second passed by, and everyone’s eyes widened in disbelief. The arrow perfectly hit its mark, completely piercing through the small fruit on top of the goblin’s head. The goblin heaved a sigh of relief as it glanced towards the arrow that struck the fruit on top of its head. It looked at Dan with moist eyes as it silently thanked the child for not missing its mark. Just a bit of mistake, and the arrow would have hit the goblin’s forehead.

  “A fluke.”

  “Definitely! A fluke!”

  By now, the stakes for the competition were closed. No one staked their money for Dan to win. Most of the nobles had gambled for the known names in archery to win the competition.

  Dan pulled out another arrow and breathed out a gust of wind. He gently placed it on the bow and pulled the strings with moderate force. The competition’s aim was not to kill; the aim was to hit the marks perfectly. To the Grim Reaper of the Leopold Family, such competition was as easy as breathing.

  He released the string and the arrow again whizzed by. Just like before, the flow of the arrow was absurdly smooth, as if it was alive and personally seeks its target. With another piercing sound, the arrow successfully landed on its target, and the goblin below the fruit squeaked a sound of joy. The crowd was yet again unable to believe their eyes.

  “What the hell… that… just now… it’s impossibly precise.”

  “Isn’t that a child? He’s probably five or six! There’s no way he knows archery! It’s a skill that needs discipline and extreme concentration! Not to mention years of training!”

  The crowd was in uproar, and the commentator himself was stunned speechless. Dan wasted no time and pulled out the last arrow given to him. He again loaded it on the bow and lightly pulled the string. With a calm and steady gaze, he stared at his target. Without warning, he released the grip of his fingers, and the arrow uninterruptedly shot towards its target. The goblin lightly squirmed as it saw the approaching arrow. A second after, it nervously glanced at the top of its head. After realizing that its body was not pierced through, it squeaked of glee. Its eyes smiled as it looked at the child before it.

  “No… way….”

  “The third time?”

  “It can’t be coincidence….”

  The crowd was in stupor after the third arrow had perfectly hit its mark. It took them a few more seconds before the fact that child before them was a prodigy in archery had finally sunk it. Immediately, like a snake that changed its skin, their demeanor turned opposite. The previously mock-filled arena was now filled with words of motivation. The Wys they would lose if the child actually managed to win the competition was nothing to the nobles. The mere fact that they were able to witness the birth of an archery genius filled them with unexplainable bliss. Everyone was in euphoria.

  “KID! YOU’RE GREAT!”

  “I KNEW THAT YOU COULD DO IT!”

  “AWESOME!”

  “SHOW THOSE ADULT COMPETITORS HOW IT FEELS LIKE TO BE TRAMPLED ON BY A CHILD!”

  The crowd was in ecstasy, and the arena boomed into a violent quake as the cheers filled the air. Even the previously hostile commentator joined the bandwagon and cheered for Dan.

  With an indifferent look plastered on his face, Dan turned around and placed his bow on his shoulder. He patiently awaited the result of the elimination round.

  The other competitors entered the arena the moment Dan’s group was finished. Unlike before, the cheers were mediocre, and the crowd could not wait for the next round to start. They all knew that the unknown child had passed the first round of the tournament. After all, he had successfully landed all three arrows on such minute target.

  An hour passed by, and the elimination round had finally ended. Dan’s name was called out along with the other contestants that passed the first part of the competition. The moment his name was called, the crowed violently cheered like he was some sort of an infamous celebrity.

  “Don’t push your luck, kid. First round is for amateurs. Archery’s not that easy.” A man who appeared to be around his thirties said. He had been practicing archery for years, and he felt disgusted by the fact that a child made it into the second round.

  Dan cast a quick glance at the man but made no reply. Deep in his mind, he silently wished that no one had casted their stakes at him before the elimination round started. That way, he would be able to hog all of the money from the stakes if he eventually emerged victorious in the end. The mere thought on what kind of face his mother, Minerva, would make the moment he showed her the fortune from winning the competition made his lips curl into a smile. He could not wait to finish the tournament and go back to Minerva with a fortune in tow.

  Contrary to their expectations, only nine contestants made it into the next round. The result was a bit disappointing when compared to the previous annual competitions, but the existence of the child gave ample excitement to the crowd. Everyone could not wait for the next round to start. All wanted to see before their very eyes the birth of an archery genius.

  The commentator went towards the stage and announced, “The second part of the competition starts! The rules are simple—accuracy wins! You all have to hit the same fruit from before, but this time, it shall be placed on a moving wheel! Those that are able to hit at least two out of three will move on to the next round!”

  The goblins from the previous round were removed from the stadium, and in their stead, a spinning wooden wheel was placed. It had six corners, and at the edges of it were the same fruits from before. The previous distance of twenty meters was increased to twenty-eight. The difficulty of the test was exponentially harder than the previous one.

  Dan silently waited as the commentator called out the names of the participants. It took three contestants before Dan finally got his turn. The air trembled as the crowd cheered violently as Dan stepped on the stadium. In a span of an hour, he had become something akin to a celebrity.

  Dan calmly loaded an arrow to his bow. With cold gaze, he pulled the string and firmed his grip. The wheel where the fruits were strapped at continued to swirl at a constant speed. The fruits slightly blurred as it whizzed by.

  Dan loosened his finger’s grip and the arrow shot by. Time seemed to have stood still as the crowd watched with wide eyes as the arrow cruised towards it target. A soft piercing sound was heard, and tidbits of the fruit scattered the moment the arrow had hit its target. Everyone was on the edges of their seats as they have confirmed with their very eyes the birth of a genius. Everyone could not wait to have their hands on the child. The nobles have decided to rear such talent. Moreover, if the child had enough mana, he could become a great magician that specialized in magical arrows. Such absurd accuracy would prove deadly in the battlefield.

  Dan repeated the feat two more times, and everyone was left speechless from the impossibility in front of them. Everyone thought of the things they were doing when they were the same age as the child, and mastery of the art of archery was definitely not one of them.

  The other contestants lost their confidence the moment they saw the child shoot all targets precisely in three successions. The way he pulled the strings as he aimed for the targets seemed to have been done without effort. Dan’s previously awkward stance now seemed to be the perfect stance for archery. Even the contestants memorized the child’s form as he performed his shots. Unbeknownst to them, the form of the child was created in order to suit his young body. It was a stance not meant for an adult to use. Doing so would result in utter failure.

  The competition ended with the rest of the competitors not being able to shoot more than two fruits from the spinning wheel. They were too aghast from
the prodigy in front of them that they had lost their composure. Only a single contestant was able to shoot a fruit from the wheel, and he was able to do so only once. The rules clearly stated that two fruits were needed to be shot down in order for one to advance to the next round. With no other competitors to fight against, Dan was declared the winner. No one complained nor grumbled. Everyone saw with their very own eyes the birth of a genius.

  Chapter 10: Child versus Assassin

  “And the winner—” the commentator stood beside Dan, and he pulled up the child’s hand as he boldly declared his next words, “Daniek Bhlot!” The crowd cheered in ecstatic voices the moment the child’s name was uttered. “It seems that today marks the birth of a genius! Today—the annual archery competition gave birth to a prodigy!”