The Goblin Nation - 97 Shuja And Artio

Mari fully replenished her mana the day after the duel, so she immediately cared for the injured. Artio’s injury was the most severe, requiring four hours of continuous healing spells on her spine. Fortunately, the caretakers were eager to assist Mari, especially Violin and her caretakers. In the Razin culture, women are tied to nature, and women in some extant can use nature’s powers. For example, the ability to create life is one power nature gave to women. Those that could not give birth are believed by the Razin tribe to have an affinity with the earth, and naturally, they are given the task to care for the plants in their most holy building, the Glass Garden. But there are powers that very few women could inherit, such as the ability to heal the injured.

Razin’s believed those that could heal are the most blessed and holiest being, and thus many of the caretakers view Mari with reverence. Violin was skeptical at the beginning, but when Artio stood up, her skepticism was replaced with admiration and worship. Mari found their adoration for her awkward. She is just a peasant girl that just happened to be born with a rare affinity, and so she is not used to being worshipped. When Artio recovered, Violin’s caretakers quickly stormed to Mari’s side, offering her their services.

Artio, on the other hand, was far too excited to move her body to care what was happening around her. Once she stood up, she ran outside the barn and just kept running until she bumped into Shuja. When Shuja saw Artio move her legs, she immediately requested for her to tutor in archery. And with Artio high on happiness, began to teach her. Since then, the two women would spend their time at the shooting range.

At the shooting range, Artio showed off her special bow to Shuja. Her composite bow was made from wyvern horns, and wood laminated together with a special compound that gives off a red finish that matches her crimson hair. Shuja stared with awe, “Amazing.” She said.

“This bow’s name is Dearg crafted with the strongest wyvern horn and finest wood. This bow has always been on my side since the day I commissioned its creation. And since then, I’ve slain countless with this bow.” Artio took her time admiring her bow before finally beginning the lesson.

The range had bullseye targets hanged on a wall. Artio requested for soft fabric and bags to be piled up behind the wall in case an arrow penetrate through the wood. Some of the goblins came with bags filled with sand and began to cover the backside of the wooden wall.”How can that even happen?” Shuja asked, “Our arrows shouldn’t be strong enough to break through a wall.”

“Do you know about mana?” Artio asked.

“Yeah, I learned how to use it from Mari. Though I’m not as good as Sun and his brothers.”

“Well, the answer to your question is mana. By infusing your mana into your bow and arrows, you can break through any material with ease. Like a toothpick slipping through butter.”

“Butter!”

“That’s right! But I think its best to show you what it looks like. Hey!” Artio shouted to the goblins behind the wall, “You finish yet!”

“Yeah!”

“Then get out of the way!” Artio walked to the shooting line, took her shooting stance, and began to release mana from her body. A strand of blue light climbed up from her hip before separating into two, with each line twirling around her arms. Eventually, the light reached the arrow, turning its stone tip bright blue. “Are you out of the way yet!” She yelled impatiently.

“Yes,” The goblins stood in sideline next to Shuja. They watched as the blue light grew in intensity as Artio pulled strings.

“Gotcha,” Artio whispered before releasing her grip. The arrow flew through the air, leaving a trail of blue light in its path. When it reached the target, the wooden plate snapped into two, and the arrow continued to travel through the wall before slowing down in between the sandbags. Then it finally lost its momentum after penetrating through the layers of sandbags, and it landed on the earth. And the arrow traveled ten meters in just a fraction of a second. “Good thing we had those sandbags, or else that arrow could have continued flying until it hit someone.”

“Amazing!” Shuja quickly ran to the shooting line with her bow, “How do I that?”

“Woah, hold your horses. First, I want to see how good you are with the bow. You say you are the best hunter in your tribe, but I have to see it to believe.”

“Then be prepared to be impressed, master!” Shuja aimed her arrow at the target and fired three arrows in a minute. The three arrows hit their mark, the center red dot. The carpenters were thoroughly impressed by Shuja’s archery skill and praised her amazing shot. “Well? Are you impressed?”

“Yes, very impressive. Your stance has great form, and you have a good eye. This saves me the trouble of teaching you how to aim. So we can move on from the basics and get to the advanced class.” Artio smiled while walking between Shuja and the targets.

“Advance! Whatever it is, I’m ready!”

“Ready, are you?” Artio stood two meters away in front of the target, “Then I want you to stand here.

“Ok.” Shuja ran eagerly and stood on the spot. “Now what?”

“Stay right there.” Artio walked back to the shooting line. She aimed her bow towards at her target, Shuja.

“Uh, what are you?”

“Stay still!” Artio pulled the arrow and the string while coalescing her mana at the arrow’s tip. The arrow began to emit the same blue light from earlier.

“Are you sure?”

“Trust me on this. I’m an expert in city battles. This trick has saved countless of lives and ended twice as many.”

“I don’t believe you!” Shuja began to shed tears.

“Yahahaha! Believing is seeing. Gotcha.” Artio released her grip and sent the arrow soaring.

Shuja’s body froze in place and shut her eyes, but the arrow did not hit her, “Did you miss?” Shuja asked, with her eyes still closed shut.

“You won’t know if you keep your eyes close.” Shuja opened her eyes and checked her body for any blood and holes, but there was none. Shuja turned around and saw the arrow Artio shot stuck on the target. “Amazing, isn’t it? I learned this from my old Master, a great man he was. The trick is simple to understand; all you have to do is shoot your arrow in a way that it will travel around an object while hitting the target behind it. This is the advance technique I’ll be teaching you before the mana part.”

“Amazin, my love!” Entering the rang was a shirtless Cossack covered in sweat. His long black hair was tied into a bun, revealing the green plumage growing behind his ears.

“What are you doing here?” Artio asked with an annoyed tone.

“I’ve come to tell you I have beaten those brutes!” Cossack’s nose began to twitch. “And with this victory I am,” Cossack paused to catch his breath, “One step closer to regain my position as the top dog. But of course, you must be wondering how I achieved such a flawless victory. Worry not, my love, for I will tell you the steps I overcame in that grand battle.”

Artio raised her hand, “Hold up! I don’t have time to listen to your ramblings. I need to impart my knowledge to Shuja before I leave. Time is limited for us. Tell me when you escort me out of this giant forest. Promise?”

“Of course, my love!”

“Then beat it, we girls have work to do. That also applies to you guys!” Artio pointed her fingers at the goblins that were dumbstruck from what they saw. They could not believe what they saw. Her arrow changed course mid-flight and glided by Shuja before striking the target at its center. “Ahem!” Artio’s loud coughed caught their attention once more, and they soon fled the scene along with Cossack.

“That was amazing. I wish I could have seen it.” Shuja walked towards her tutor, shaken by the experience.

“I was surprised you didn’t move. I covered the arrow in mana just in case so I can bring it crashing down.”

“Well, I trust you. Besides, I faced scarier things than that.”

“Trust me, huh?” Artio walked to the target to pick the arrows, and Shuja followed her.

“Master, why do you give Cossack the cold shoulder.”

‘Because I don’t like him. And before you ask, yes, I considered telling him no and tell him upfront that I do not see him in that way. But it’s his fault for not telling me his feelings, always hiding his intentions with those exaggerated stories and calling me ‘love.’ It gets annoying fast. But I do admit that he is a better goblin than I thought. And a part of me doesn’t want to tell him no and bring his spirits down. Especially now, with the sudden shift of power in this tribe.”

“And he has been training with us.” Shuja commented, “He’s been improving in combat and his control on mana. I bet he’s doing it to impress you, Master.”

“Ah, is that what it is?” Artio plucked out the arrow she shot at Shuja. “What about you? Aren’t you training under me to impress your crush.”

“Bahahaha!” Shuja laughed before removing one of her arrows from the wooden plate. “I don’t have any crushes.”

“Oh, come on now. You can tell me. Don’t you trust your Master?” Artio puckered her lips and gave Shuja the puppy eyes.

“No!”

“Is it that large goblin, Rock.”

“What? He’s married to my friend!”

“Then how about that handsome one that fought Cossack.”

“Smoke? Please, he looks like a girl with his hair down.” Shuja pulled out her second arrow with greater force.

“Oh, then it must be the Chief. What was his name? Oh right, Sun.” Shuja snapped her third arrow in half. “Gotcha?”

“My feelings for the Chief is merely admiration. Nothing more than that.” Shuja said in a cold tone in an attempt to mask her true feelings.

“Speaking of which, is that him walking with another woman.” Artio pointed at the bottom of the hill. Shuja could not help but look to confirm, and Artio was right. Sun and May were walking together towards the town. “Should we spy on them?”

“No!”

“But it could help you in the future. As a hunter, you have to stalk your prey for long periods of time. Maybe you have talent in archery but I haven’t seen you use any tracking skills. How about it?”

“No!” Shuja insisted.

“Ok, then I won’t teach you my way with the bow.”

“Fine!” Shuja finally gave in, and the two women followed the couple around town. Nothing much happened in their walk until May grew bold and asked Sun a very personal question. Shuja and Artio listened intently as May probe Sun for answers.

Shuja began to sweat in anticipation, waiting for the answer was more terrifying than watching an arrow pointing at her. Then she heard him say those magical words, “I think I have a crush on them.” The world stopped spinning when Shuja heard those words. A warm fuzzy feeling swelled inside, coupled with despair. What if it wasn’t Shuja?

“I wonder, maybe he’s talking about you?” Artio teased her student, who was too preoccupied thinking about the many possibilities hinted by Sun’s statement.

Once she regained her composure, she looked at her Master with her cheeks glowing red. Then she stormed off to return to the shooting range and go back to practicing her archery. “Yahahaha!” Artio laughed as she watches Shuja do her best to contain her confusing feelings.

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