Duncan slowly walked down the Main Street and thought about his interaction with Timor. He sighed and looked directly into the black hole that was spread across the blue sky.

“I wonder if it’s true what they say. That when you peer into the abyss the abyss watches you too,” he told himself out loud.

“I should stop trying to be friends with everyone, or expect them to want to be friends,” he mumbled as he passed the bar.

Duncan’s destination were the barracks. He had a bow and arrows. Now what he needed were targets and, on his visit, last time he noticed them in the training facilities.

He soon reached the barracks and knocked on the door. There was no answer and he didn’t try to enter unannounced so he made his way around the housing towards the training field.

There he found three round targets for practicing. They were spaced around 50 meters, 100 meters and 200 meters from the line that marked the start of the shooting range.

Even the 50-meter target seemed to Duncan to be too far away. He was not discouraged though. Duncan bravely took out the bow from his inventory. Strung and arrow on it, pulled back and let it fly. Fly it did, just not at the target. He saw it hit the ground around 10 meters before and to the left of the target.

Taking another arrow. He pulled, aimed and let it loose to a very similar result.

He repeated it again. This time he aimed upwards at an angle. The arrow flew over the target and a bit to the left of it.

“What the hell am I doing? I have archery skill at level 4?” Duncan was a getting a bit angry at the lack of progress.

He was getting frustrated and took shot after shot. Some arrows were overshooting the target. Some were flying too short, too left, too right. None hit the target.

Duncan quickly went and picked the arrows laying about on the range and started again.

At his thirty something tries, as he barely hit the target, he heard clapping behind him.

Duncan turned around and saw two men looking at him intently.

“I told you he will hit it in the next ten. Pay up!” one of them said.

“Ahh. Shut it Garis. He was just lucky,” the other one replied and gave him some coins.

“Are you Duncan?” the one who lost the bet suddenly asked.

Duncan nodded before asking, “Am I disturbing your training?”

“It’s alright Captain Fenris said you might come around. You are welcome to train anytime here for what you did. I am Garis and this loser is Tyrok,” the winner replied, earning himself a punch in the shoulder.

“Well, you lost the bet. Ergo loser,” Garis said laughing.

Tyrok shook his head before he came towards Duncan.

“Let me see that bow of yours,” he said in a demanding voice.

Duncan complied and watched Tyrok pull it back with ease and then slowly returned the string into position.

“As I thought. This bow is not made for such distances unless you are an expert,” he said as he returned it.

Duncan took the bow before he asked, “What do you mean?”

“It’s too weak for straight shooting, so you need to launch the arrow at an angle. Without visual aid you need to rely on experience and looking at you, no offense, but you look like a total novice at this,” Tyrok explained.

Duncan pulled the string and let it loose.

“Now you even look like someone who never owned a bow,” Garis said while laughing.

Stolen story; please report.

“I just bought my first one,” Duncan replied and confirmed his assumption.

“It shows. You never let an empty string go like that. It can destroy a bow. It needs to have an outlet for the energy you supply it by pulling,” he explained while laughing.

Duncan looked in confirmation at Tyrok and he nodded.

He asked in slight embarrassment, “So, what do you suggest?”

Garis rolled his eyes and said, “Just move 30 paces towards the target and shoot until you are comfortable. Then move back. Repeat until you come here.”

“We will be going now to our tower. Captain said you might be interested in fresh carcasses?” Tyrok suddenly said.

Duncan turned around and nodded eagerly, “Yes, do you have any.”

“We shot three Midnight deer a day before yesterday. Still haven’t gotten around to clean them. It will cost you 60 bronze coins though.” Tyrok said.

Duncan willed 60 coins in his hands and made a mess on the ground since the quantity was too big to hold in his palms.

“Are you sure you are Duncan and not a dunce?” Garis said while he laughed, as he helped look for coins in the grass.

“I deserved that,” Duncan said as he picked himself up from crouching on the ground.

“Don’t mind him. He has a big mouth,” Tyrok said while sighing.

“I noticed,” Duncan replied.

The carcasses were put on the grass and Duncan quickly stored them.

The two archers left and Duncan heeded their advice and moved closer.

He aimed and shot the first arrow. He got a hit. It was not in the center of the target but it was way better than before. Duncan repeated until he ran out of arrows. He quickly picked them up and started again.

Duncan put down his sword to mark the starting point. This time only one of 20 didn’t hit the target.

He picked up the arrows and moved a couple of meters back. Repeating the same movements was boring but the progress was noticeable and filled with a feeling of satisfaction that followed.

Soon he got a notification that his archery has risen to level 5. His hands were blistering up so he used the low-quality potion he still had. He did a rinse and repeat for the same action until it was starting to get dark. He was nearing the 50-meter mark and he adjusted the angle of his aim as he went back. By now his archery has risen to level 8 and his satisfaction if measured would be at level 10.

As he shot his last arrow of the round and wanted to go pick them up, he heard a familiar voice.

“Good evening. Will you join us for dinner?”

“Good evening Fenris. Sure, if you will have me. Let me just pick up my arrows before it’s dark,” Duncan replied as he turned around.

Duncan soon joined them in the canteen where a cold beer greeted him and some venison stew was in a bowl with a spoon besides him.

“It’s stew tonight. I heard you met Tyrok and Garis,” Fenris stated.

“Yeah. The comedic duo,” Duncan replied.

“I heard you were the comedy,” Rosen suddenly said earning himself a glare from the other three.

“I guess I was,” Duncan smiled as he admitted his incompetency.

“Don’t take it to heart. Being an archer is not an easy profession. Especially if you don’t get a class when you are born,” Fenris stated and the others nodded.

“Did you manage to get the skill yet?” was his next question.

Duncan nodded and replied, “I got it today.”

Fenris continued, “Any luck leveling it?”

“Yeah, it’s at level 8 now,” Duncan replied and swallowed some stew.

He heard gagging noises coming all around him.

“Are you serious? Level 8 in one day!” Fenris half yelled as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

Duncan nodded although a bit embarrassed since he started at level 4 but he was sure the first 4 levels would be easy to gain anyway.

“You have a seriously infuriating class,” Fenris stated and all the others nodded looking at Duncan as if he were some kind of monster.

Duncan just shrugged and at the stew with relish.

“Elland told me to charge you 3 silvers for the potions. I will take two for my trouble and one for the meals now and in the future,” Duncan stated as they eventually calmed down.

“Oh. It’s way less than expected. The only thing we can’t blame the mayor for is the way she handles our finances,” Fenris stated and gave him 3 silvers.

“If you won’t take them, give them to Elland,” Fenris said as Duncan gave him an annoyed expression. Duncan reluctantly took all three.

“Will you go to the mine again?” Petris asked.

“Probably. But not just yet. I have a lot on my plate these days,” Duncan replied.

Petris nodded as Fenris said, “The boys here want to come with you and I would be willing to do the same.”

“We will see,” Duncan replied and made no promises.

He was not exactly eager to go with them in the mine considering the Shades. For the Skeletons though they may prove a useful distraction or whatever else there might be down there.

The Guards soon finished their meal and left after saying their goodbyes. Only Duncan and Captain were left.

“Did you tell Wazsh?” Fenris asked.

“Yes. He didn’t take it very well,” Duncan replied.

Fenris sighed before saying, “I imagined he would not. What did he say?”

“He wants me to kill her. Before you ask; I said no,” Duncan replied.

“Why not?” Fenris looked surprised.

Duncan looked at his blue cold eyes and said, “Just call it cultural differences.”

“Alright,” Fenris said as he saw no point in continuing this conversation.

“So, what’s your plan?” He asked.

Duncan replied after contemplating, “To get strong enough and find another angle I can use, to force her to give up control.”

“People who are in control rarely give it up for free. You know there will probably a hefty price for it. You could avoid all this by just…” Fenris said and them made a throat slitting motion.

“I know. Let’s continue this conversation when I am closer to a solution. Good night,” Duncan said and made his way out.

“Good night. I hope that day comes,” Fenris replied, with a sigh following it.