Shuffling forward every step I heard the crowd murmuring about the fate that awaited me, I began to walk forward, the rope that bound my hands together was tight, I could feel my pulse in my wrists. I looked around and saw family’s and guards looking at my every step waiting for me to do something.
I lifted my eyes from the cold floor and saw a warrior ready to do his duty; His eyes had seen much suffering and his hands were not from wealth, He told his men to back away from me.
I kneeled down to him and looked into his hollow eyes. He gestured to his men – The men grabbed my hair and pushed my head down, making me once again look at the floor. I heard an arrow leave its quiver and attach to a bow. I felt cold steel on the top of my head.
The night was cold, the bowstring made a crackling noise as it was drawn to full length. The arrow departed from my skull. His men once again grabbed me and turned me around, positioning me into an execution position. Pinning me down so I could not move, I could faintly see an unnatural light reflecting in the wet stone that was the floor beneath me.
The bowstring made a noise that was unique to this type of weapon. The poetic twanging sound that vibrated into the cold air around me, the sound so many had heard before meeting God, meeting death.
I looked up into the night sky; I was turned around by the men for a final time. The arrow lay in front of me, the shaft in two pieces, He had fired onto the ground. The man looked behind me and nodded to his men, they grabbed my hands and unbound them. I had done it.
The warrior opened his arms with the bow in his left and spoke to me.
“Welcome to the family of Sagittarius”
He bowed down and laid the bow in his hands outstretched, waiting for me to claim the bow.
I stood up, looking at the new members of my family. I clenched my left fist in anticipation. I relieved the weight of the bow from his hands. My hands shaking, I hardened my grip around the Yew bow.
The exotic colour of the bow complimented the carvings that the bow has sustained and received with every new owner.
“Is it…time?” I said without enthusiasm.
“Yes, we must follow through the ritual. Rejoice in your new family. Rejoice in your new status. Rejoice in sending me to the better world” Said the soon to be resting warrior with joy.
“If I must, I know what this means to you.” I looked at my bow and back up again, “Go to the room of departure and I will release you there” With a faint tear in my eye. The warrior began to walk.
I began to walk towards the door and seal his fate, and take his place and become a Sagittari, the greatest achievement for any archer in the kingdom. Just at that moment I could see a light, coming from the watch tower above the building. It quickly disappeared. “Go and investigate that” I asked a guard.
The guard appeared to walk towards the stone stairs; he stumbled and began to mumble meaningless words, He collapsed onto the stone floor. Triggering an immediate flow of everybody in the vicinity drawing swords. Another guard checked his pulse, “He’s dead” the guard exclaimed.
“There!” I screamed as I saw a faint figure with a torch in hand, I grabbed my bow and dived into the weapons rack, a throwing star darted into my thigh, I ignored it and placed the steel arrow onto the bow. I drew the bow with incredible speed, my eye started to twitch, was the star poisoned?... I am a Sagittari, the best archer in the world...nothing...ca…
* * *
“That was 27 years ago, that moment defined his life, I have just read you an extract from our grand master’s autobiography. “ Said Grand Archer Virtus.
“Now- “
"But Master, Did he hit his target?” Interrupted a young archer.
“I will leave that to your imagination”
“Now, take out your bows, inspection time, and remember why to wear your thigh guards at all times young archers.” The Grand Archer looked around at the intrigued faces.
Log in to comment