The Cursed Guardian

Chapter 22

I only have five arrows left, now.

My first five arrows is gone with no luck. The tree has a lot of leaves but I only have five chances now. I suddenly refuse to  slide the arrow in the string not being sure if I can hit it.

I breathe hard thrice with my eyes close. Thinking of how can I do it like Phearo can. He said to focus on my aim. Okay.

Maybe I am not really aiming on my target. I just release it. Did I focus on the leaf? Yes I did. Did I notice how it fall? Huh? I jerk my eyes open.

I observe the leaf as it fall. It falls normally. I did it again as another leaf fall. I really focused my eyes on it. It seems to fall slowly. I try to grab it but it slips in my hand. I try to grab it before it literally passes in front of me. I successfully grab it.

Maybe, I can try it with my arrow.

I will release the arrow faster than it falls. I stretch out my arms. I inhaled deeply. Focus is the key. Calmness. I inhaled again. The leaf fall and I release the arrow. Almost.

Four arrows left.

I tried again. I will try to release the arrow faster this time. I calm myself again and let it go. I hit it! But the leaf slide of the arrow. It was torn.

Three arrows.

I can feel the tension, now, running on my nerves. I slide the bow on my shoulder and shake my hands off. Releasing the tension. I breathe three times. Only three chances to go. I almost hit it. I can this time.

I readied myself again. Focus on the leaf. Focus the way it falls down. Focus. I fixed my eyes on the leaf as it falls. All my senses focused only on the leaf. Even my breathing.

It is falling. Slowly. As if in a very slow motion. Then I release the arrow and it directly hit the leaf on the ground. I blinked twice. I did? I walked on the arrow. A leaf was on it. On the ground.

"I DIIIID IIITTT!!!!!!"

I jump on my feet feeling happy. Feeling great to myself. Feeling I am the best of them all. Laughing like I am the champion.
I look up to Phearo.

"You see that? I did it! I did it! I DID IT!!"

He flies down in front of me. Having a blank expression but his eyes betrays him. He's proud of me.

"You're just lucky!" He scowls while his arms crossed on his chest.

"Aayy," I elbow him "come on! You are proud of me!"

"Huh? Proud of how weak you are?"

Aw, he really knows how to ruin my mood. I'm feeling happy and lucky and he's here reminding me of how I am. Oh no, let me correct. I am stronger. Bolder. Going fierce in the future. I hope so.

"But  at least" I look at him straight in the eye, "I. Did. It."

"With only two arrows remaining?"

"Whatever. I did it. Period."

"How did you do it?"

I mischievously smiled to him.

"I let the leaf moved in slow motion."

"Try again."

I aimed for the falling leaf again but I failed nailing it! Oh, boy! What a shame! Just when I was bragging it and I failed!

"Looks like the leaf fall in slow motion."

He really emphasizes the words slow motion. And he's grinning, huh!

I give him a death glare. I'll show you. I still have one last arrow to save my pride. I focus on the falling leaf again like I did before and hit it.

I did it!

I saved my pride.

I saved myself!

"See? I really can do it!"

He just nod his head with one brow raise.

"We can level up your training now." He snaps his finger and the wind blew. The leaves falls faster while dancing with the wind. "Can you still hit, at least, one."

His smile is taunting me. And will show him I can. Although, I have doubts. Because it takes me a lot of time just to hit two leaves without the wind. And now he makes it harder.

But I am up for a challenge today. I've gotten so far, so I intend to go until the end of this training. And as the saying goes, 'You can only learn in the hardest way'. In short, no guts; no glory.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ Professor Rose ~

The Chancellor wears a happy smile as he look outside his window. It is a good thing that he can still manage to smile despite our dreadful situation.

"Who knows they can be good together?" His eyes still outside his window. He turned to me when I did not answer. "Look at them."

I walk to his window and look down the garden. Auryn was with her Spirit Guardian. He has finally shown himself, at last!

Chancellor said, he appeared when he let Igneel attack Auryn. He noticed that she learns faster when she is in the situation. He said it is discovery learning, so he made experiment on her training.

And he succeed. Auryn is laughing while she is elbowing her moody Guardian. He is training her with her weapon and looks like she is doing good.

"I really thought he would abandon her."

He shakes his head.

"I can feel that they had a great connection to each other." I tilted him my head. "Phearo is just testing her. He knows that what happened in the past has an impact to her whole personality."

"But don't you think he is harsh on what he did?"

No one would ever think that a Spirit Guardian can say that to his Warrior. They protect their Warrior like they protect themselves. They value their Warrior like they value themselves. They are like family.

"Yes, he is. But look at the outcome." He gestured their direction. "She becomes stronger. She strived harder. And she is far way different when we first saw her."

Yes. She can smile now. She has friends. She is happy now. She is  fighting her fears. She is stronger. She is braver. And she can do things now she never thought she can.

Alicia, your great granddaughter is a great Warrior now.

"She is really great. At first I thought, she is the one. But Veenece said that every Gryphon Warrior is a male." He sighed in disappointment.

I suspected her, too. But it faded when I learned that information. Even though, she is not, she is indeed great. In just few days she becomes better. Even Professor Ravenous leaved her alone when he noticed her improvement.

And speaking of that cold Professor, I really thought he will throw his grudge on Alicia to her. But he did not. He just want to confirm that her granddaughter is not an embarrassment to her great achievement.

Professor Ravenous really had a different method for everything. But he sure had a soft spot before. His daughter. Every father's weakness is their daughter, indeed. But he made the right decision. Even if it turned out bad to his side.

I giggled when Auryn try to hit her Guardian with her arrow. Phearo sensed her and he spread his huge wings. Sending her a violent wind right in front of her face.

"Yeah, they look good together."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

First impression last.

But.

First impressions are always not correct.

Judging a person is like looking to an abstract painting. Look what's beyond the painting.

Thank you for reading!!!!

Love, Jean Martine